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The Verge: Three cheers for Scabby the Rat

Berry Craig
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The giant inflatable rodent that became the face of America’s labor movement

By ZOE SCHIFFER 

TheThe 12-foot rat loomed over the entrance to the RV trade show in Elkhart, Indiana, the “RV capital of the world.” It stood 12 feet high, its beady red eyes and snarling fangs alerting attendees that at least one company wasn’t playing nice with union organizers. Depending on who you asked, the gigantic inflatable rodent was either a menace or a rallying cry. But to its owners — members of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 150 — it was merely Scabby, a beloved symbol of the labor movement.

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