“• KEN AULETTA, writer for New York and The Village Voice. We went on strike, 40 of us. I was one of the leaders of the strike with Walter Bernard and Richard Reeves. We learned that Murdoch made this hostile bid to buy [New York]. In an expression of support for Clay and as an expression of concern about what Murdoch might do to New York Magazine—taking it downmarket, for instance—we went on strike. It was a weeklong strike on the front page of papers, on television. Amazing how much prominence it got in the press. I went with a delegation which consisted of Water Bernard and Dick Reeves to the office of Howard Squadron, who was Murdoch’s attorney. I did all the talking. I said, “Howard, we’re here because we just wanted to tell you we hope your client, Mr. Murdoch, will step back and realize if he goes through with this hostile takeover, we’re going to leave, we’re not going to work for him, and I don’t think he wants that to happen and it would undermine the value of the property he was buying.” Howard listened to me very politely. We all smiled, thinking, Pretty good argument. Howard looked at me, then Walter, then Dick, and says, “Ken, are you finished?” I said yes. “Well, let me just say that you’re furniture. Murdoch looks upon you as furniture.” ”
