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By Jesse Russell

The inflatable rat has been used by labor unions for over 10 years as a symbol of unfair practices at a building or construction site. There have been a number of lawsuits filed by companies against unions over the use of the rats saying they were the functional equivalent of picketing. Mostly the lawsuits were defeated but in June a decision by the
National Labor Relations Board ruled just that.

Rebecca Myles has more:

The recent ruling by the NLRB’s administrative law judges is being appealed by labor groups, who argue the First Amendment protects its activities, in the same way that passing out handbills is considered free speech.

Lowell Peterson, who represents the Laborers Eastern Region Organizing Fund explains they have faced these lawsuits but the political climate is different now:

[Peterson]: