Inflatable rat
Encyclopedia
Inflatable rats, or union rats, are commonly used in the United States of America by protesting or striking trade union
s against their employers or against nonunion contractors, serving as a sign of opposition and to call public attention to companies employing nonunion labor. Unions have been using them for years against companies that employ nonunion labor, and employers have filed lawsuits charging that the use of the giant inflatable rats constituted unlawful picketing, and some courts have agreed. Though 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. Also, 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. The practice of using inflatable rats in union protests may have something to do with the usage of the word "rat
" to refer to nonunion contractors.
While the inflatable rat sometimes varies in appearance and size, it generally features large teeth and grotesque features. Many unions have nicknamed the inflatable rat "Scabby the Rat", a reference to scab
s.
Chuck Salter, of fastcompany.com, dates the usage of inflatable union rats to 1991, when Mike O' Connor of a Plainfield, Illinois
balloon and searchlight firm made a rat due to a request from a Chicago union member. , the rats ranged from 6 feet tall to 30 feet tall, but 12 feet is the most popular height due to local laws limiting the height of inflatable objects on display.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s against their employers or against nonunion contractors, serving as a sign of opposition and to call public attention to companies employing nonunion labor. Unions have been using them for years against companies that employ nonunion labor, and employers have filed lawsuits charging that the use of the giant inflatable rats constituted unlawful picketing, and some courts have agreed. Though 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. Also, 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. The practice of using inflatable rats in union protests may have something to do with the usage of the word "rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
" to refer to nonunion contractors.
While the inflatable rat sometimes varies in appearance and size, it generally features large teeth and grotesque features. Many unions have nicknamed the inflatable rat "Scabby the Rat", a reference to scab
Strikebreaker
A strikebreaker is a person who works despite an ongoing strike. Strikebreakers are usually individuals who are not employed by the company prior to the trade union dispute, but rather hired prior to or during the strike to keep the organisation running...
s.
Chuck Salter, of fastcompany.com, dates the usage of inflatable union rats to 1991, when Mike O' Connor of a Plainfield, Illinois
Plainfield, Illinois
Plainfield is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2007 special census, the population is 37,334.The Village includes land in Plainfield and Wheatland townships. Part of Plainfield is located in Kendall County...
balloon and searchlight firm made a rat due to a request from a Chicago union member. , the rats ranged from 6 feet tall to 30 feet tall, but 12 feet is the most popular height due to local laws limiting the height of inflatable objects on display.