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| {{Short description|Oversized inflatable figure of a rat, often used for labor protests}} | |||
| ]]] | |||
| ]]]'''Inflatable rats''', '''Union rats''', or '''Scabby rats''', are giant inflatables in the shape of cartoon ]s, commonly used in the ] by protesting or ] ]s. They serve as a sign of opposition against employers or nonunion contractors and are intended to call public attention to companies employing nonunion labor or engaging in ] activities. | |||
| '''Inflatable rats''', or '''union rats''', are giant inflatables in the shape of cartoon ], commonly used in the ] by protesting or striking ]s. They serve as a sign of opposition against employers or nonunion contractors, and are intended to call public attention to companies employing nonunion labor. The practice dates from the 1990s.<ref>{{cite news |first=Max |last=Green |date=April 19, 2017 |url=https://www.wbez.org/shows/curious-city/how-a-rat-balloon-from-suburban-chicago-became-a-union-mascot/8526eeb4-4cee-4efd-99e7-b3a794c8e4cc |title=How a Rat Balloon from Suburban Chicago Became a Union Mascot |work=WBEZ |access-date=January 23, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Channick |date=August 7, 2019 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-scabby-giant-rat-balloon-union-protest-ban-20190807-fbqnn7rorne75oc2w72wel3ise-story.html |title=Born in Chicago, Scabby the Giant Inflatable Protest Rat May Be Banned from Picket Lines by New Labor Board Rulings |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=August 7, 2019}}</ref> | |||
| ==History== | ==History== | ||
| The first known inflatable rat was used by the ] Local 150 in ] in 1989, according to photos from the ''Local 150 Engineer'' in November 1989, which also launched a "Name the Rat" contest.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://local150.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/scabby1.jpg |title=Local 150 Engineer |date=November 1989 |access-date=January 12, 2019}}</ref> In January 1990, it announced that "Scabby" was the winning submission, in reference to the slang "scab" for ] and non-striking workers, coming from Local 150 member Lou Mahieu.<ref name="NameTheRatWinner">{{cite web |title=Name the Local #150 Rat Contest |url=http://local150.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/scabby2.jpg |access-date=January 12, 2019}}</ref> An alternative origin story credits the ] who credit Ken Lambert with the design in 1990 or 1991, a member of the Chicago District Council, and claim to still have the original model in their Chicago office storage.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2023-03-09 |title=Scabby the Rat is an American labor icon. Why are his manufacturers disowning him? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/08/scabby-rat-union-labor-dispute-inflatable |access-date=2024-12-26 |work=] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> | |||
| Unions have been using them for years against companies that employ nonunion labor.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.workforce.com/2005/09/09/unions-inflatable-rat-an-endangered-species/ |title=Unions' Inflatable Rat an Endangered Species |website=Workforce |date=September 9, 2005 |access-date=January 12, 2019}}</ref> Employers have filed lawsuits charging that the use of the giant inflatable rats constituted unlawful ], and some courts have agreed. | |||
| ] | |||
| The inflatable rats all originated from one American manufacturor, a company called Big Sky, who produced ] and standalone ]. It was commissioned by Lambert and designed by one of the co-owners, who Lambert asked to make the design to be "'meaner looking,' with big claws and 'festering nipples,'" with "menacing" fingers and whiskers and "more scabrous" belly.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> Other unions also began using inflatable rats in the 1990s to shame companies that employ nonunion labor.<ref>{{cite news |last=Green |first=Max |date=April 19, 2017 |title=How a Rat Balloon from Suburban Chicago Became a Union Mascot |url=https://www.wbez.org/shows/curious-city/how-a-rat-balloon-from-suburban-chicago-became-a-union-mascot/8526eeb4-4cee-4efd-99e7-b3a794c8e4cc |access-date=January 23, 2019 |work=]}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite news |last=Channick |first=Robert |date=August 7, 2019 |title=Born in Chicago, Scabby the Giant Inflatable Protest Rat May Be Banned from Picket Lines by New Labor Board Rulings |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-scabby-giant-rat-balloon-union-protest-ban-20190807-fbqnn7rorne75oc2w72wel3ise-story.html |access-date=August 7, 2019 |work=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Debbie-Marie |last=Brown |date=October 18, 2023 |url=https://chicagoreader.com/news-politics/scabby-the-rat/ |title=For Decades, Scabby the Rat Has Stood for Workers' Rights |work=Chicago Reader |access-date=October 27, 2023}}</ref> In part as a result of increasing business from unions, Big Sky’s sales doubled between 1990 and 1991, and developed other "union inflatables," such as a cockroach, a “Corporate ],” a “Greedy Pig”. It was estimated that Big Sky at one point sold a half-dozen Scabbies per month at a price of up to $10,000 each.<ref name=":0" /> Now many American unions own dozens of the inflatable rat for use in labor disputes.<ref name=":0" /> Notably, Big Sky was not a ], and likely outsourced their manufacturing of Scabbies as early as 1997, and later claimed to stop selling union inflatables when its owner became a supporter of ].<ref name=":0" />]]] | |||
| In May 2011, the ] (NLRB) held that union use of an inflatable monster rat is not considered an unlawful activity when directed at a secondary employer.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.natlawreview.com/article/obama-board-and-giant-rat-nlrb-holds-union-use-inflatable-monster-rat-does-not-constitute--0 |title=The Obama Board and the Giant Rat: NLRB Holds That Union Use of Inflatable Monster Rat Does Not Constitute Unlawful Activity Directed At A Secondary Employer |publisher=] |date=May 28, 2011 |access-date=January 12, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nlrb.gov/news-outreach/news-story/after-remand-us-appeals-court-nlrb-rules-display-inflatable-rat-balloon|title=After remand by US appeals court, NLRB rules that display of inflatable rat balloon at secondary employer is permitted under labor laws {{!}} NLRB {{!}} Public Website|website=www.nlrb.gov|language=en|access-date=2019-09-06}}</ref> In 2011 National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Sheet Metal Workers Local 15, 356 NLRB No. 162 (2011) ruled that the inflatable rat did not constitute a |
Employers have filed lawsuits charging that the use of the giant inflatable rats constituted unlawful ], and some courts have agreed. In May 2011, the ] (NLRB) held that union use of an inflatable monster rat is not considered an unlawful activity when directed at a secondary employer.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.natlawreview.com/article/obama-board-and-giant-rat-nlrb-holds-union-use-inflatable-monster-rat-does-not-constitute--0 |title=The Obama Board and the Giant Rat: NLRB Holds That Union Use of Inflatable Monster Rat Does Not Constitute Unlawful Activity Directed At A Secondary Employer |publisher=] |date=May 28, 2011 |access-date=January 12, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nlrb.gov/news-outreach/news-story/after-remand-us-appeals-court-nlrb-rules-display-inflatable-rat-balloon|title=After remand by US appeals court, NLRB rules that display of inflatable rat balloon at secondary employer is permitted under labor laws {{!}} NLRB {{!}} Public Website|website=www.nlrb.gov|language=en|access-date=2019-09-06|archive-date=2019-09-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190906170532/https://www.nlrb.gov/news-outreach/news-story/after-remand-us-appeals-court-nlrb-rules-display-inflatable-rat-balloon|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2011 National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in ] 15, 356 NLRB No. 162 (2011) ruled that the inflatable rat did not constitute a signal picket but instead constituted ], which is not subject to ] rules. This holding allows the union not only to place the inflatable rats at neutral entrances but also to place them at locations where the picketed company is absent.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lees |first=Judd H. |title=NLRB Rules Inflatable Rats May No Longer Constitute Signal Pickets |publisher=] |url=https://www.natlawreview.com/article/nlrb-rules-inflatable-rats-may-no-longer-constitute-signal-pickets |date=June 11, 2011 |access-date=January 12, 2019}}</ref> In 2017, NLRB general counsel ] filed court motions seeking to change the previous policy, arguing that the presence of the inflatable rat was "confrontational, threatening, and coercive."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lasswell |first=Mark |date=September 6, 2019 |title=Opinions: Justice for Scabby the Rat |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/unions-have-suffered-enough-leave-scabby-the-rat-alone/2019/09/06/40081276-cff6-11e9-87fa-8501a456c003_story.html |access-date=6 September 2019 |newspaper=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Gold |first=Michael |date=July 31, 2019 |title=Scabby, the Giant Inflatable Union Protest Rat, Faces Extermination |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/nyregion/rat-balloon-union.html |access-date=September 7, 2019 |work=]}}</ref> Robb's complaint was set aside by a 3–1 vote of the NLRB on July 21, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Iafolla, Robert |date=July 21, 2021 |title=Scabby the Rat Can Join Union Protesters, Divided NLRB Says |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/scabby-the-rat-can-join-union-protesters-divided-nlrb-says |access-date=July 22, 2021 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Channick |first=Robert |date=July 21, 2021 |title=Scabby, the Chicago-Born Giant Inflatable Protest Rat, Spared by National Labor Relations Board |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-scabby-giant-union-protest-rat-spared-20210721-773lczp27nhnrlqo5k6yrfxwbe-story.html |access-date=July 23, 2021 |work=]}}</ref> | ||
| In 2017, NLRB general counsel ] filled court motions seeking to change the previous policy, arguing that the presence of the inflatable rat was, "confrontational, threatening, and coercive".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/unions-have-suffered-enough-leave-scabby-the-rat-alone/2019/09/06/40081276-cff6-11e9-87fa-8501a456c003_story.html|title=Opinions: Justice for Scabby the Rat|last=Lasswell|first=Mark|date=September 6, 2019|work=The Washington Post|access-date=6 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Gold |date=July 31, 2019 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/nyregion/rat-balloon-union.html |title=Scabby, the Giant Inflatable Union Protest Rat, Faces Extermination |work=The New York Times |access-date=September 7, 2019}}</ref> | |||
| The inflatable rat appeared in the UK for the first time in 2012<ref>{{cite web |last=Taylor |first=Matthew |date=February 16, 2012 |title=Electricians and construction workers block Park Lane in protest over pay |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/feb/16/pay-protest-workers-block-park-lane |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20221030221648/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/feb/16/pay-protest-workers-block-park-lane |archive-date=October 30, 2022 |access-date=October 30, 2022 |publisher=]}}</ref> and again at the ].<ref>{{cite web |last=Lezard |first=Tim |date=November 18, 2013 |title=Unions smell a rat over government's Grangemouth enquiry |url=http://union-news.co.uk/2013/11/unions-smell-rat-governments-grangemouth-enquiry/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131118205600/http://union-news.co.uk/2013/11/unions-smell-rat-governments-grangemouth-enquiry/ |archive-date=November 18, 2013 |access-date=January 12, 2019 |publisher=Union-News UK}}</ref>]]] | |||
| ==Appearance== | ==Appearance== | ||
| While the inflatable rat sometimes varies in appearance and size, it generally features large teeth and grotesque features, particularly a scabby belly.<ref>{{cite news |first=Kelly |last=Bauer |date=January 22, 2019 |url=https://blockclubchicago.org/2019/01/22/scabby-the-rat-a-chicago-icon-could-get-outlawed-by-trump-appointee-report/ |title=Scabby the Rat, a Chicago Icon, Could Get Outlawed by Trump Appointee: Report |work=Block Club Chicago |access-date=January 22, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Vice">{{cite web |last=Jaffe |first=Sarah |author-link=Sarah Jaffe (journalist) |date=March 7, 2013 |title=The History of Scabby the Rat |url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/avnmgp/the-history-of-scabby-the-rat |access-date=January 12, 2019 |publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
| ]]] | |||
| While the inflatable rat sometimes varies in appearance and size, it generally features large teeth and grotesque features, particularly a scabby belly,<ref name="Vice">{{cite web |title=The History of Scabby the Rat |first=Sarah |last=Jaffe |url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/avnmgp/the-history-of-scabby-the-rat |publisher=Vice.com |date=March 7, 2013 |access-date=January 12, 2019}}</ref> a reference to the nickname of "scab" that is given to ]s. Many unions have nicknamed the inflatable rat "Scabby the Rat," a name which originated from the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, who pioneered the use of the rat in 1989 and whose member Lou Mahieu won the "Name the Rat" contest with his submission of "Scabby".<ref name="NameTheRatWinner">{{cite web |title=Name the Local #150 Rat Contest |url=http://local150.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/scabby2.jpg |access-date=January 12, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Kelly |last=Bauer |date=January 22, 2019 |url=https://blockclubchicago.org/2019/01/22/scabby-the-rat-a-chicago-icon-could-get-outlawed-by-trump-appointee-report/ |title=Scabby the Rat, a Chicago Icon, Could Get Outlawed by Trump Appointee: Report |work=Block Club Chicago |access-date=January 22, 2019}}</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | {{As of|2003}}, the rats ranged from {{convert|6|to|30|ft|m}} tall, but {{convert|12|ft|m}} is the most popular height due to ]s limiting the height of inflatable objects on display.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/47805/inflatable-union-rat |title=The Inflatable Union Rat |first=Chuck |last=Salter |date=December 1, 2003 |access-date=January 12, 2019}}</ref> | ||
| ==Origin== | |||
| The first inflatable rat was used by the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 in 1989, according to photos from the ''Local 150 Engineer'' in November 1989, where it also launched a "Name the Rat" contest.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://local150.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/scabby1.jpg |title=Local 150 Engineer |date=November 1989 |access-date=January 12, 2019}}</ref> In January of 1990, it announced that "Scabby" was the winning submission, coming from Local 150 member Lou Mahieu.<ref name="NameTheRatWinner" /> | |||
| In 2018, a local with the ] in ] attempted to circumvent the town's strict sign ordinance, which had an exemption for holiday decorations, by making Scabby wear a ].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Constr. & Gen. Laborers' Union 330 v. Town of Grand Chute, 915 F.3d 1120, 2019 LRRM 48809 (7th Cir. 2019), Court Opinion |url=https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/Constr__Gen_Laborers_Union_No_330_v_Town_of_Grand_Chute_No_181739?doc_id=XV3TSKB0000N |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=Bloomberg Law}}</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | {{As of|2003}}, the rats ranged from 6 |
||
| == Popular Culture == | |||
| ==United Kingdom== | |||
| Scabby had a ] in an episode of '']'' in 2002, acquired through the unionized crew's theatrical ].<ref name=":0" /> | |||
| The inflatable rat appeared in the UK for the first time in the ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Unions smell a rat over government's Grangemouth enquiry |date=November 18, 2013 |first=Tim |last=Lezard |publisher=Union-News UK |url=http://union-news.co.uk/2013/11/unions-smell-rat-governments-grangemouth-enquiry/ |access-date=January 12, 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.fo/r7jlK |archive-date=November 18, 2013}}</ref> | |||
| In November 2024, an ] called ''Scabby: A Rat About Town'' by Artist by the artist Marlene Hausegger at Open Source Gallery in ] featured the inflatable rat and highlighted recent labor struggles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pontone |first=Maya |date=2024-11-14 |title=Scabby the Rat, Icon of Labor Strikes, Gets His Own NYC Show |url=https://hyperallergic.com/966589/scabby-the-rat-icon-of-labor-strikes-gets-his-own-nyc-show/ |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
| ==Similar Actions== | |||
| In 2024, Teamsters in ], ] and ] brought a giant inflatable ] with a ], ] and ] badge to their pickets outside the ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-19 |title=Teamsters in Rhode Island and Massachusetts picket during national Amazon strike |url=https://turnto10.com/news/local/teamsters-say-amazon-workers-strike-at-multiple-facilities-dec-19-2024 |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=] |publisher=] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-10-10 |title=Union protests goPuff with controversial inflatable pig |url=https://www.audacy.com/kywnewsradio/articles/news/union-protests-gopuff-controversial-inflatable-pig |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=www.audacy.com |publisher=] |language=en}}</ref> | |||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| ⚫ | {{Reflist}} | ||
| ⚫ | {{Commons category|Giant inflatable rat}} | ||
| ⚫ | {{Reflist |
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| ==External links== | |||
| ⚫ | *{{Commons category-inline|Giant inflatable rat}} | ||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Inflatable Rat}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Inflatable Rat}} | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
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Latest revision as of 23:49, 26 December 2024
Oversized inflatable figure of a rat, often used for labor protests
Inflatable rats, Union rats, or Scabby rats, are giant inflatables in the shape of cartoon rats, commonly used in the United States by protesting or striking trade unions. They serve as a sign of opposition against employers or nonunion contractors and are intended to call public attention to companies employing nonunion labor or engaging in union-busting activities.
History
The first known inflatable rat was used by the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 in Plainfield, Illinois in 1989, according to photos from the Local 150 Engineer in November 1989, which also launched a "Name the Rat" contest. In January 1990, it announced that "Scabby" was the winning submission, in reference to the slang "scab" for strikebreakers and non-striking workers, coming from Local 150 member Lou Mahieu. An alternative origin story credits the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers who credit Ken Lambert with the design in 1990 or 1991, a member of the Chicago District Council, and claim to still have the original model in their Chicago office storage.
The inflatable rats all originated from one American manufacturor, a company called Big Sky, who produced hot air balloons and standalone inflatables. It was commissioned by Lambert and designed by one of the co-owners, who Lambert asked to make the design to be "'meaner looking,' with big claws and 'festering nipples,'" with "menacing" fingers and whiskers and "more scabrous" belly. Other unions also began using inflatable rats in the 1990s to shame companies that employ nonunion labor. In part as a result of increasing business from unions, Big Sky’s sales doubled between 1990 and 1991, and developed other "union inflatables," such as a cockroach, a “Corporate Fat Cat,” a “Greedy Pig”. It was estimated that Big Sky at one point sold a half-dozen Scabbies per month at a price of up to $10,000 each. Now many American unions own dozens of the inflatable rat for use in labor disputes. Notably, Big Sky was not a union shop, and likely outsourced their manufacturing of Scabbies as early as 1997, and later claimed to stop selling union inflatables when its owner became a supporter of Donald Trump.
Employers have filed lawsuits charging that the use of the giant inflatable rats constituted unlawful picketing, and some courts have agreed. In May 2011, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) held that union use of an inflatable monster rat is not considered an unlawful activity when directed at a secondary employer. In 2011 National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Sheet Metal Workers Local 15, 356 NLRB No. 162 (2011) ruled that the inflatable rat did not constitute a signal picket but instead constituted symbolic speech, which is not subject to secondary boycott rules. This holding allows the union not only to place the inflatable rats at neutral entrances but also to place them at locations where the picketed company is absent. In 2017, NLRB general counsel Peter B. Robb filed court motions seeking to change the previous policy, arguing that the presence of the inflatable rat was "confrontational, threatening, and coercive." Robb's complaint was set aside by a 3–1 vote of the NLRB on July 21, 2021.
The inflatable rat appeared in the UK for the first time in 2012 and again at the 2013 Grangemouth Oil Refinery dispute.
Appearance
While the inflatable rat sometimes varies in appearance and size, it generally features large teeth and grotesque features, particularly a scabby belly.
As of 2003, the rats ranged from 6 to 30 feet (1.8 to 9.1 m) tall, but 12 feet (3.7 m) is the most popular height due to local laws limiting the height of inflatable objects on display.
In 2018, a local with the Laborers' International Union of North America in Grand Chute, Wisconsin attempted to circumvent the town's strict sign ordinance, which had an exemption for holiday decorations, by making Scabby wear a Santa hat.
Popular Culture
Scabby had a cameo appearance in an episode of The Sopranos in 2002, acquired through the unionized crew's theatrical Teamsters Union.
In November 2024, an art exhibition called Scabby: A Rat About Town by Artist by the artist Marlene Hausegger at Open Source Gallery in Brooklyn featured the inflatable rat and highlighted recent labor struggles.
Similar Actions
In 2024, Teamsters in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Philadelphia brought a giant inflatable pig with a bag of money, cigar and CEO badge to their pickets outside the Amazon Fulfilment Center.
See also
- List of inflatable manufactured goods
- History of union busting in the United States
- Anarchist symbolism
- Labor unions in the United States
- Anarcho-syndicalism
- Industrial Workers of the World
- Diversity of tactics
- Molly Crabapple
References
- "Local 150 Engineer". November 1989. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- "Name the Local #150 Rat Contest". Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- ^ "Scabby the Rat is an American labor icon. Why are his manufacturers disowning him?". The Guardian. 2023-03-09. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- ^ Channick, Robert (August 7, 2019). "Born in Chicago, Scabby the Giant Inflatable Protest Rat May Be Banned from Picket Lines by New Labor Board Rulings". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- Green, Max (April 19, 2017). "How a Rat Balloon from Suburban Chicago Became a Union Mascot". WBEZ. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- Brown, Debbie-Marie (October 18, 2023). "For Decades, Scabby the Rat Has Stood for Workers' Rights". Chicago Reader. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
- "The Obama Board and the Giant Rat: NLRB Holds That Union Use of Inflatable Monster Rat Does Not Constitute Unlawful Activity Directed At A Secondary Employer". The National Law Review. May 28, 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- "After remand by US appeals court, NLRB rules that display of inflatable rat balloon at secondary employer is permitted under labor laws | NLRB | Public Website". www.nlrb.gov. Archived from the original on 2019-09-06. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
- Lees, Judd H. (June 11, 2011). "NLRB Rules Inflatable Rats May No Longer Constitute Signal Pickets". The National Law Review. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- Lasswell, Mark (September 6, 2019). "Opinions: Justice for Scabby the Rat". The Washington Post. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
- Gold, Michael (July 31, 2019). "Scabby, the Giant Inflatable Union Protest Rat, Faces Extermination". The New York Times. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
- Iafolla, Robert (July 21, 2021). "Scabby the Rat Can Join Union Protesters, Divided NLRB Says". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- Channick, Robert (July 21, 2021). "Scabby, the Chicago-Born Giant Inflatable Protest Rat, Spared by National Labor Relations Board". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- Taylor, Matthew (February 16, 2012). "Electricians and construction workers block Park Lane in protest over pay". Guardian News. Archived from the original on October 30, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- Lezard, Tim (November 18, 2013). "Unions smell a rat over government's Grangemouth enquiry". Union-News UK. Archived from the original on November 18, 2013. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- Bauer, Kelly (January 22, 2019). "Scabby the Rat, a Chicago Icon, Could Get Outlawed by Trump Appointee: Report". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
- Jaffe, Sarah (March 7, 2013). "The History of Scabby the Rat". Vice. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- Salter, Chuck (December 1, 2003). "The Inflatable Union Rat". Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- "Constr. & Gen. Laborers' Union 330 v. Town of Grand Chute, 915 F.3d 1120, 2019 LRRM 48809 (7th Cir. 2019), Court Opinion". Bloomberg Law. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- Pontone, Maya (2024-11-14). "Scabby the Rat, Icon of Labor Strikes, Gets His Own NYC Show". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
- "Teamsters in Rhode Island and Massachusetts picket during national Amazon strike". WJAR. Associated Press. 2024-12-19. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
- "Union protests goPuff with controversial inflatable pig". www.audacy.com. KYW News Radio. 2019-10-10. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
External links
Media related to Giant inflatable rat at Wikimedia Commons
