Giant Rats

For years now I have seen giant inflatable rats every once and awhile in the city. Always thought is was a bizarre promotional decision for a fumigator. Well, today I learned something new, and why they are used.

Construction and General Building Laborers Local 79 says it introduced the rat to New York about 1997, borrowing the idea from Chicago unions. Since then, other unions have bought inflatable rally rats of varying sizes, and at any time there could be more than half a dozen rats humiliating employers around the city. While unions set their own standards, Local 79’s system is probably typical.

A ”rat contractor” is an old phrase in construction and can refer to an employer who is not providing proper safety equipment, benefits or wages

Totally makes sense now. So they have been doing this for 10 years and the New Yorkers I have talked to didn’t know this is what it meant… that’s some bad marketing.

Thanks to Times in New York.

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