• To watch raw video footage of the statements, go here and skip ahead to 15:40.
• Press coverage of the panel appearance is here and here.

Arts & Labor statement on Frieze New York

Thanks to Nato, and especially to Suzanne Lacy, for giving up some of their time on this panel so that we can speak. We respect Suzanne’s work and look forward to hearing her talk, so we will be brief. Suzanne’s longtime commitment to both art and activism brings us all here, and it is our shared sense of the importance of both that prompts us to make this urgent appeal regarding the conditions under which the Frieze art fair is constructed and run.

Arts & Labor is a self-organized group of art workers that includes artists, interns, writers, educators, art handlers, designers, administrators, curators, assistants, and students among other art workers. We came together during Occupy Wall Street to expose economic inequality and exploitative working conditions in our fields and oppose them through direct action and educational initiatives, building solidarity across class, educational, and professional divides.

We stand here today with organized labor to speak out against the inequitable hiring practices of the Frieze New York. Frieze is the only major NYC art fair to be built by non-union workers, now for the second year in a row.

The ground on which this tent stands is public: it belongs to us all. When we lend it to Frieze, we have an obligation to ensure that it serves the public good and not merely private profits. Frieze is renting this city park for less than $1 per sq ft, probably the lowest rent in all of NYC, even as millions of dollars are changing hands in art sales. The fair isn’t serving all New Yorkers: not only is the ticket price too expensive for many working people, but the facilities have been constructed and run by over 500 low-wage, non-union workers.

We urge you all to contact Frieze and demand that they use local and union labor, in order to ensure that workers are treated well and earn decent wages and benefits. The contact information for Frieze is on their website and on the flyers we are passing out.

We know that the fight against exploitation doesn’t begin or end with Frieze. But we are here today use because we believe that we MUST start holding art institutions, especially those like Frieze, accountable to the people who live and work here. The art economy must support its workers with living wage jobs that people can survive on— whether in the studio, in the office, in the gallery, or on the building site.
We love art, and want to see it flourish in our city, but we know that there is a better, fairer way to foster its growth. Thank you.

Teamsters Local 814 Statement on Frieze New York
Julian Tysh, Membership Coordinator from Teamsters Local 814, “the Home of NYC’s Professional Art Handlers”

Hi, my name is Julian and I’m a long-time art handler currently working as a union rep for Teamsters Local 814. Our union represents skilled professionals who work as art handlers, movers, and truck drivers. I’m here today, thanks to the support of Nato Thompson, who stood with the Sotheby’s workers when we were locked out, and thanks to Suzanne Lacy who was gracious enough to give us some time to speak today…thank you both so much. It’s deeply appreciated.

As a worker, as a trade-unionist, and as life-time lover and supporter of the arts, I’m glad to see that we are finally starting to have a bigger, and more dynamic, and more public conversation about the role of art in the economy, and about the role of art workers in that economy.

So as New York’s economy continues to transform, and as the arts continue to be a major engine for economic growth, we need to start making sure that local residents and local communities are benefiting from this economic activity instead of being hurt by it.

As most of you already know, we’re in the middle of a serious jobs crisis right now…in this country and in this city. So in the middle of this crisis, why is an organization like the Freeze using a local park but not hiring local workers? And if they’re paying way below market rent for public land, and making tons of profit from the sale of high-priced art, then why are they still using contractors that pay way below the area standards?

If New York is going to welcome the Freeze with open arms, and if New Yorkers are going to support the Freeze by buying tickets, going to their events and parties, and even by buying art there, then shouldn’t the Freeze begin, at the very least, by respecting local workers and the communities that depend on those workers?

Relationship needs to be based on mutual respect. Other art fairs in NY have shown respect for local workers by abiding by the standards that have long been set by our city’s unions. Why should the Freeze force art handlers and exhibition workers and carpenters, and other art fair workers to work below New York standards? Instead of using a city park, and city subsidies, to drive down wages and benefits, the organizers of this art fair should have the decency to honor the standards that workers in New York have had in place for decades.

Local artists, local workers, and local unions have already entered into a powerful partnership for a more creative, more sustainable, and above all a more socially responsible city. The question is: will the Freeze become part of that New York, OUR New York, or will they continue to profit at our expense? Will they understand finally, that it’s those of us who make the art, and who hang the art, and load the art, and drive the art, who make this city happen? Or will they continue to freeze us out?

Let me close by thanking you all for your time, and thanking those artists and individuals who have already called on the Freeze to do the right thing. Thank you again for listening and please tell the Freeze to come to the table with our city’s unions. Thank you again.

Another Art World Is Possible
Arts & Labor’s Alternative Economies Workshop
NURTUREart 56 Bogart St, Brooklyn NY 11206
May 11, 2013 3-6pm

The economic and social realities of the art world as it exists can often be a source of frustration for artists, but what might an alternative model look like? In this workshop we’ll discuss the things we like and things we don’t like about the current art world. Then we’ll learn about various alternative models and discuss amongst ourselves how they can be applied to or replace the current system.

Facebook rsvp: Another Art World is Possible

Join us and stand up for art worker rights—from the studio, to the office, to the building site!

HOW TO GET TO THE FRIEZE RAT FAIR

• Letter to panelists
• Letter to artists, gallerists, fair workers, and attendees

• Frieze is a for-profit event that pays less than $1/ sq ft to lease city park land for two months.

• Frieze makes art inaccessible to many working New Yorkers with a ticket price of $42 per person.

• Frieze would rather bring in low-wage, non-union labor from WI, than pay NYers a living wage.

• Frieze is the only major NYC art fair using non-union labor to construct its fair.

TELL FRIEZE TO HIRE LOCAL & UNION!

Call the Frieze Office: 212 463 7488
Twitter: #FNY13 #FriezeRatFair @FriezeNewYork
artsandlabor.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2013   

LABOR LEADERS TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE ON FRIEZE NEW YORK ART FAIR AND CALL UPON ELECTED OFFICIALS TO CHANGE PARKS PERMITTING

Elected officials will join members of Teamsters Joint Council 16, IATSE Local 829, IATSE Local 1 and District Council 9 of Painters, at a press conference on the steps of City Hall Wednesday at 1:00 PM to confront the organizers of the Frieze New York Art show and their local events coordinator, Production Glue, LLC on their continuing discrimination against hiring New York City’s union workers.

Labor leaders contend that Frieze NY and Production Glue refuse to hire professional exhibition workers and hire workers from as far away as Wisconsin to avoid paying a fair wage. Art world enthusiasts speculate that London based Frieze will become a permanent yearly fixture at Randall’s Island. Production Glue also ran the event in 2012 and refused to employ union workers to construct the fairgrounds and facilitate the event.

These unions will demand that Frieze Art Fair end its practice of freezing out New York workers, and engage good, local, union employers effective immediately. They will also call upon the New York City Parks Department to pursue a new permitting process that evaluates labor standards for these major private events that make major profits while displacing families from enjoying local parks.

Frieze New York, which will run on Randall’s Island May 10-13, 2013, is an international contemporary art fair and will feature works from more than 1,000 artists from around the world.

On Wednesday, April 17, 2013, Teamsters Joint Council 16 President George Miranda, NYC Central Labor Council President Vincent Alvarez, Councilmember Jessica Lappin, Exhibition Employees Union Local 829 President Kenny Kerrigan, IATSE and members of several local unions will speak out on this lack of support and call for Frieze New York’s sponsors to acknowledge the rights of New York City’s union workers.

When:            Wednesday, April 17, 2013 1:00 P.M.
Where:           Steps of City Hall, City Hall Park Broadway, New York, NY 10007
Who:              Labor Leaders and Elected Officials

What Do We Do Now?
Alternative Economies Resource Guide
Edition 1, Fall 2012

booklet launch at:
Building The Commons
Making Worlds Commons Forum 2
March 29th & 30th
Fri 6-10pm / Sat 10am-8pm

The Commons Brooklyn
388 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, NY

*Children Welcome / Wheelchair Accessible / Free & Open to the Public*

Join us this Friday & Saturday for the first edition release of What Do We Do Now? Arts & Labor’s Alternative Economies Resource Guide. Input for subsequent editions is welcome; we plan to update periodically!

Over the course of several months in 2012, members of Arts & Labor’s Alternative Economies group decided to research and compile a list of alternative resources for living in New York. This resource guide contains examples of barter for health care programs, times banks, workers coops, community social services, alternative transportation advocates, and more. We are now ready to distribute the resource guide throughout the city at various events and with friends whose work forms part of building an alternative economy in New York City.

**A brief introduction to the guide will be made during Friday’s potluck Dinner 7-8pm & Saturday’s potluck Lunch Noon-1pm.**

In anticipation of our one-year anniversary, Intern Labor Rights is lovingly preparing hundreds of Intern Swag Bags to be given out at Fashion Week events over the February 8–10, 2013, weekend. To get your hands on an Intern Swag Bag, or to help us distribute, email us at intern.labor.rights@gmail.com and find out where we’ll be during the weekend. To track our progress follow #devilpaysnada and #payinterns on Twitter, or find us on Facebook.

For a peek into how this action is being covered in the press, check out this article on BuzzFeed: Occupy Movement To Protest Unpaid Internships At Fashion Week.

And to join in the fight for what’s right, to insist that those who profit from labor pay for its worth, to make your voice heard… email us and find out when and where our next weekly meeting will be, or join our group on Facebook.

Intern Labor Rights is supported in the New York Fashion Show “Pay Your Interns” initiative by SUARTS and Intern Aware, who are making London Fashion Week plans as part of the long-running and successful “Devil Pays Nada” campaign.

The following groups have committed to supporting each other in the global fight to end unpaid internships:

• Canadian Intern Association
• Génération Précaire (Paris)
• Geneva Interns Association
• Hague Interns Association
• Intern Aware (London)
• Intern Labor Rights (New York City & Washington, DC)
• Precarious Workers Brigade (London)
• Students’ Union of University of the Arts London

]]> http://artsandlabor.org/unpaid-internship-action-at-nyfw/feed/ 1 http://artsandlabor.org/january-23-2013/ http://artsandlabor.org/january-23-2013/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:28:24 +0000 aandladmin http://artsandlabor.org/?p=1119 Continue reading →]]> Report backs:

• Strategy session panels (at PP and Murphy Institute)
• Intern Labor Rights virtual global summit
• Reader
• SF Project
• Rad Arts
• New Meeting Structure
• Mapping the workplace
• Alternative Economies
• Commons Coalition

Agenda items

• MOMA
•  Long term strategies/ teach-ins follow up:
• New Meeting spaces
• *Next discussion meeting

Minutes: A&L Wednesday meeting, January 23, 2013

Facilitator: CT
Minutes: YA/AS

Attending: JB, CO, AS, CT, YA, LP, MB, BR, AA

Report backs:

* Strategy session panels (at PP and Murphy Institute):

CT: First panel participants – taxi drivers alliance, Sotheby’s art handlers
union, ALIGN, Domestic workers united. Felt that the domestic workers rep
spoke to issues most relatable to artists. Was having trouble relating the
other presentations to art world struggles.

AS: saw this more as a way to learn about solidarity-building methods. Spoke
to how the media villainizes organized labor reps.

Second session participants: representatives from Queens museum, Project
Projects, Creative Capital, WAGE.

JB: on the first night the presenters were mediators between the workers and
the regulatory body. In terms of the art world- there’s no regulatory body to
work against.

* Intern Labor Rights virtual global summit:

YA: 13 People on google hangout, worked, 7 or 8 international groups to talk
amongst themselves. French group was established in 2005, was successful in
organizing an intern strike in France. Learned many different tactics that
reassured us – big take away is that the groups would like to organize
internationally, to share resources and tactics. First up, two girls from
Intern Aware, working in the fashion industry want to organize around Fashion
Week in London, New York, and Paris. New York is the first one (first week of
February). YA cannot be there, but PW is bottom lining it for the intern
group. Begin to look for the way to target this industry. The group requests
help from anyone who has knowledge or connections in the industry. Would also
like for people to participate in planned actions and assistance in promoting
it.

The London group is going to mass produce the pay your interns tote bag to
give out at London’s fashion week.
ILR needs people to organize with them.
The collaboration with London would help raise awareness.
Next international virtual summit will be in the 2nd or third weekend in Feb.
At YA place, in case anyone wants to join.

* Reader:

YA: reader meeting to happen in the next couple of weeks.
- is there passion?
BR: there is passion.
MB- maybe it’s a matter of giving each other time.
YA: Decided not to do it in time for CAA.

* SF Project:

LP- approached by Invisible Venue, led by SF curator. Thinking of making a
website to highlight and interact with ’5 ways to act.’
- seemed at the last report back there was not enough enthusiasm.
- maybe mediocre project is awesome.
MB – I like the IV curator, seemed to be moving on her own time.
- its seems like a very positive project, giving a positive emphasis to those
who are doing this already, i.e. five ways to act.
- good stories seem to be coming from similar initiatives that could come from
this.

LP – is the tactic of addressing powerful people in the industry, a good way
to start? It highlights power and hierarchy in the industry.

MB – I think we should also get some interns to participate in the project,
not just highlight the  powerful. Success stories in general.

BR – next steps?
LP – we need people to help.
JB – is there a way for people to know how to help.
LB – this started with the 5 ways to act, so how can we get people to respond
to is.
…
MB – maybe we can tap into the stories already within our group. Link to the
project.
…

* Rad Arts:
CT- decided within the group to start doing studio visits and sharing work.
AS2 was the first to present the project she did in LA. Really cool project,
helped me understand her. Very exciting, LW is going to share poetry at the
next meeting at her place. Date TBD.
AS- is this event only for the Rad Art people?
CT – yes, for now.

* New meeting discussion structure:

CT – Tuesday two weeks ago we met and one new person joined. Meeting minutes
can highlight this structure.
YA – what about a new location to meet?
CT – new space discussion will be added to the agenda.

* Mapping the workplace:

MB – little discussion on mapping interest. Suggest to have more targeted
discussion, and invite people to the discussion. Interested in being very
creative on this project. Try to do things in the smaller group.
YA: this will be a private meeting?
BR concerned about a larger discussion about labor, but feels like this sounds
different.
LP – seems beneficial to invite to the Tuesday discussion meeting.
MB – would like to have it more focused.
LP – the idea of the Tuesday meetings is that people can bottom line
discussions.
CT – last meeting seemed to be about reform vs revolution. I bottom lined.
BR – felt the knowledge we got in the first mapping meeting was useful, but
now we should focus it back into the main group.
…
AS: is this for building a tangible map or a theoretical discussion?
MB: first to gather perspectives, then pursue them and continue to build in
the map.

* Alt Econ:

AS: met with solidarityNYC – a small group working on alt economies. Right now
it is a knowledge-sharing website of resources.  Spoke to them about how they
organize projects. One person bottom lines and gets the support of the entire
group.

One member is working for a city run program: Time Banks NYC. Looking for
people to volunteer for the time bank. Met with them to see how the two groups
can collaborate (Alt Econ & solidarityNYC). The next step is to have the two
groups meet in a more formal way with more people.

* Commons Coalition:
AS: the coalition met up, post-Sandy. Organizing smaller, self-initiated
discussions. Trying to formulate the next one around common charters. It will
take place around mid-Feb.

AGENDA ITEMS:

* MoMA:
CT: discussed action in response to MoMA’s policy for artist membership. Will
meet within Rad Arts to discuss possibilities.
AS: should try to stay on point in support of art workers.

* Long term strategies/ teach-ins follow up:
BR: the teach-ins came about from a few meetings (BR, AS2, KP) conducted with
people organizing outside of the workplace. What should the follow up to the
teach-ins be?
(one of the researchers wants to put together a simple pamphlet of labor 101
with arts & labor.)
Proposal: A second session of ‘mapping the workplace’ and then meeting with
the two researchers from the Murphy Institute.
Feels that there is an organizing strategy that can come out of this kind of
meeting. We can gather knowledge that we intuitively know in the mapping
session and then present it to the Murphy Institute to see what we can do with
it.
MB: it’s interesting that what resonated with a lot of us was the work of the
domestic workers, where they went out and interviewed people.
BR: there was a participatory survey done within day laborers that we can look
at.  It’s not even about a survey, it’s defining what info we want to gather
and how to gather it.
JB: it’s like the prep stages of forming an organization or worker center,
etc.
MB: that’s a limiting way to think about it, the “old” way. Would like it to
be more open-ended.
LP: the art world is so much about limitless thinking. Like the idea of doing
something more traditional and specific like gathering information like BR is
proposing.
MB: more interested in things like how can people in the art world make a
sustainable living.
JB: only union or quasi union orgs can work with political power to stop
production. The only end goal is collective politics.
MB: Sotheby’s is a good example that that’s not true. That model doesn’t work
anymore.
JB: Disagree. The Chicago teachers union is an example of how unions still
have political power.
AS: the bus driver strike is being deferred now to a larger org since the city
doesn’t want to deal with them.
CO: these things don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Separate collectives
don’t have to be alienated from each other.

LP: currently trying to work through what it means that the discussions and
projects we do via A&L is free labor on our part.
AS: I this as being something that will benefit me in the long haul. If I’m
focused on alt economy – I’m researching alternatives for other workers, but
also for myself.
We can consider having a time bank within the group.
BR: the working system we have in the group is not sustainable. It builds
resentment. But it’s difficult, because what we’re doing is built on our
desire. When you start to monetize it, it gets messy. Don’t personally think
that a solidarity campaign willhappen on a volunteer basis.
CT: we have to think of how we can have fun doing it.
MB:  aspects of this are work, but aspects of it are fun and enjoyable. It’s
about creating other things in our life that aren’t about consumption.
AS: domestic workers talked about the ‘ambassador’ project – each member is
educated and then they go back into their community and disperse the
knowledge. It seems more realistic for A&L to ground ourselves in these kinds
of group work models. Relationship-building in outer areas.
LP: it’s interesting even thinking of where we work vs. where live, as part of
the mapping project.
BR: agreed.
AS: proposing to go to the outer neighbourhoods and seeing if people want to
interact with us.
LP: you have to help people understand that they can organize (?) like through
a worker center.
CO: as a musician, my community works mostly for free because they think
they’re eventually going to make it big. Workers think of themselves as
exploited, while musicians see themselves as a not-yet-famous musician.
LP: that’s true for actors, models etc – identify with future millionaires,
not exploited.
BR: very interested in the ambassador idea, it’s participatory research. Want
to reach out.
AS: Occupy Lunch was our first outreach.
LP: how do we do outreach to workers and have them generate what they need?
AS: would be good to identify where we can start doing outreach. We should
leave it up to the groups to say what they want.
MB: like what we did at KW in Berlin with Occupy Museums, where we did a
survey of all the employees of the museum about their working conditions.
Agree that we need to start seeing some faces and discovering if other people
are interested in what we’re interested in.
CO: it’s also gratifying to meet other artists.

* New meeting place:

CT: do we want to stick to POPS?
–> most people indicated down or mid twinkles.
AA: would be great to have a place where we can do presentations.
CO: always had a good experience meeting in bars.
MB: not sure it’s great for the people who work in bars.
AA: there’s also a volume issue.
BR: apartments?
AS: some people are uncomfortable about having strangers in their house.
BR: we can ask unions.
AS: we can ask art institutions – Artists Space, THE space (?)
LP: would be interesting to see which institutions are allies, who we can have
a dialogue with about collaborations.
MB: would prefer that it be a centralized location.
CO: what about churches?
MB: like the dynamics of being in a public space
LP: Bluestockings?
BR: can we make a deadline to get out of 60 Wall St? Maybe the next Wednesday
A&L meeting?
BR: will reach out to labor contacts.
YA: limit ourselves for now to south of Union Sq until East Village area – not
too far east, not too far west. We should suggest a spot for the next Wed.
meeting and try it out. It doesn’t have to be permanent.

* Next discussion meeting:

AA: we can read Federici’s housework essay as a platform for the next
discussion.  It’ll be a good way to discuss the success and failures of the
movement in relation to our work.
still need someone to bottom line meeting.

Attending: AB, CT, LW, BW, GR

Suggested topics: relationship between community organizing and labor organizing; “class misidentification”; questions about panel last night/ thursday’s panel

Panel thoughts:
GR- thought the broadness was interesting, thought is would be more specific to artists

CT- wished it were more specific to the artworld. Struggled to apply broader labor issues to struggles for artists

LW- thinking about how workplace organizing could apply to artists

CT- i am an art assistant for example but also an artist. as artist also consider own art as labor. Still feel skeptical about organizing artists using their workplace as the starting
point for organizing artists. Artists work as waiters, etc. not just within the art world.

AB- domestic workers speaker was great. Been feeling that artists should identify as
artworkers. It was interesting to hear Joyce and the taxi driver both identifying as artists
in some ways as well. I have not experienced the extreme abuses that many domestic
workers have faced, but the lack of security is something artworkers and the domestic
workers have in common. Respect the courage of the domestic organizer reaching out
on the ground.

CT- agree, felt like artworkers and domestic workers had the most in common.

LW- the point was made that solidarity needs to transcend class positions. Other
good point was that class can’t be ignored because class affects level of precarity and
security etc.

CT – It’s not either/or.

LW- what does acknowledging that mean though?

GR- recognize life experiences.

BW- think it’s important to recognize there’s different levels of precarity within the same
position or workplace. Those with less security may not be able to be on front lines of
unionizing for example.

AB- differences need to be discussed and a common ground needs to be determined
before you move on. My background is less privileged than I now appear because of
education etc.

LW- different backgrounds that aren’t always apparent based on first impressions.
Trying to work on being mindful of other people.

GR- sothebys for example seemed effective because it seemed like it was initiated by
and important the people involved?

LW- arts and labor members organize around their own workplace conditions.

GR- interested in how to pick actions or focus when there are barriers and differences.
Do the differences erode?

LW- long term question is one I think about in the labor organizing issue. How can we
organize in a way that doesn’t just result in asking for more from people in power but
erasing the big differences in power.

CT- thinking the whole art world system is terrible. I came out of discussion thinking
impossible to organize artists based on these existing models

GR- starving artists can still be considered as elitist by a lot of people because artists
aren’t “productive” in current society art isn’t utilitarian. If you aren’t doing something to
move the productive economy forward are you not creating “value” in a lot of peoples
eyes.

LW- why is the goal to transform shitty workplaces into equitable places why aren’t we
trying to create new equitable places instead?

AB- material conditions for some people are dire. People seem isolated and alienated
from each other. Need to tap into that shared desperation. Labor organizing could shift
ideological norms. Lately have clear sense for what I don’t want but am still identifying
what I do want.

LW- Hopefully one day the new workplace I am involved in will come to fruition. Why
aren’t we starting new models?

CT- this is more practical based on what we know, starting new is daunting. I think it’s
less for ideological reason than practical.

AB- thought about this especially after visiting community garden. Making assumption
that some people are struggling in their daily lives.

LW- poor people do start all kinds of businesses. Last night was depressing- the talk
about the laws that restrict militant unionizing

AB- even the material precarity of newly graduated art students is something to hook
into.

LW- still worried about organizing people to ask for more things from the people in
power limits how far we can think outside this structure

AB- there are still some forms of organized labor that are interested in true equitability.
Better conditions could be first step but not ending there.

GR- lots of different factions through history of cooperatives. For example Spanish
civil war? What does it mean to be up against enemy who wants to destroy labor? Like
today? There was creative work that came out of this situation too.

LW- it’s hard for me to imagine how seizing all the power could happen, especially with
all the anti-strike laws etc.

AB- through small slow ideological shifts, but opportunities don’t just come, we have to
make them. Workers can still organize themselves through refusal and withdrawal.

GR- people in the digital world are able to organize outside the system, for example
anonymous.

AB- I think people can physically walk out still, people need to be radicalized.

BW- there needs to be a structure of support in place first, people’s food, medicine, etc.
is now tied to workplace can’t afford to sever that.

GR- this idea of moving up the chain and then you are in power is pervasive

LW- academia is like this too, there is the false idea that you have freedom within it .
Freedom is limited. But these are also some of the few spaces where people feel like
they they can still have radical ideas and some freedom.

CT- does this need to be either/or? Can’t we address both conditions now and also build
new better conditions?

LW- how do you curb natural impulse to take leadership roles and distribute equitably

RARA
CT, LW, BW decided it was a good idea for raras to get to know each other’s artwork
better. Will have studio visits or presentations. Build trust, get to know each other, see
how it relates to our activism or how those skills can be used for a/l work.

Questions for panelists at thursday’s event:

Do you think another world – not just another art world – is possible? One without this
morally bankrupt artworld, one in which art and finance are not linked, etc. How can we
get there?

Do you sell or buy art? Do you believe that commodifying art destroys any part of it?
Does the existence of an art market hinder artistic production?

Are you an artist, if so how does this identification relate to your role in the art industry?