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A giant inflatable rat called "Scabby" is constitutionally accepted free speech
CBSN
A giant inflatable rat commonly used by unions at picket sites can continue to see the light of day, a labor regulator has decided.
For decades, the balloon rodent, affectionately known as "Scabby" by labor groups, has been a common fixture at worksites and at union protests, with its snarling fangs and scab-covered belly a reliable signal that a union has a dispute with a nearby company or worksite. The rat, and its lesser-known cousins, a "fat cat" and a "greedy pig," range in size from 6 feet to 25 feet high. Judges have long held that this menagerie constitutes protected free speech and can be used in public as long as the balloons don't block entrances and exits to a job site.More Related News

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