Unions Go Upstream - Take Down the Inflatable Rat Used in Picketing

Could the old school ways of organized labor be falling by the wayside for a more business friendly, partnering approach?  I doubt it, but at least one symbol of the old school ways is under attack, as union reps discuss their public image among themselves.

The symbol?  The rat.  From Jessica Marquez at Workforce:

"The giant inflatable rat has long been a prop used by labor unions to call attention to companies using nonunion labor.

But a number of construction trade unions in western New York have agreed to put the rat to rest in favor of more collaborative talks with employers.  During a September 14 rally in Buffalo, New York, union representatives cut up a 15-foot-tall rat balloon to symbolize that their organizations were ready for a more “business-friendly approach,” says Michael McNally, business manager for Local 22 of the Plumbers and Steamfitters Union.

“Our philosophy for the past 15 years hasn’t created any more market share for us. We have been viewed as troublemakers,” he says. “Now we are going to use PR to dispel those perceptions.

Despite the notoriety of the inflatable rat, it’s smart for the unions to move away from using it, because the prop has lost much of its shock value over the years, says Gerald Hathaway, a partner at law firm Littler Mendelson.  “When rats started showing up 15 years ago, I used to get panicked calls from employers,” he says. “Now when the rat shows up, tourists are taking pictures with it.”

I've got mixed emotions. Ditching the rat is the right thing to do if you're promoting your union, but the image kind of underscores the roughness and yesterday nature of organized labor.  So, if it goes, it's an automatic upgrade in the public image and makes labor more approachable to a generation of workers who have never seen a picket line.

Still, I doubt the rat will be shelved by all unions.  We'll see it again, probably this month.  A picture's worth a thousand words. 

Comments

[Michael Haberman, SPHR]

Ah the question is: Who was the rat? The union or the company? I am sure opinions will vary.