Strikes and a Boycott Win a Better Deal from Macy's

Striking Macy’s workers held their own mock Thanksgiving Day parade, which included a giant inflatable Scabby the Rat. Photo: UFCW Local 3000

February 16, 2024 / Lisa Xu

Fans of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade may have noticed one glaring omission in its cast of charismatic balloons and floats: Scabby the Rat, who for some reason, has never been invited.

But what employer wouldn’t want a reminder from Scabby—“an imposing 12-foot inflatable rat, replete with red eyes, fangs, and claws,” as the National Labor Relations Board puts it—to stay on its best behavior?

Macy’s workers in northwest Washington rectified this last year by prominently featuring Scabby when they launched a strike and boycott campaign against the retailer over low wages and safety issues. Scabby was also the star of their own mock Thanksgiving Parade.

Members of Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 3000 had been working under an expired contract since last March.

FULL story: https://labornotes.org/2024/02/strikes-and-boycott-win-better-deal-macy%E2%80%99s