What Happened? The Reason Why a Rat is Outside Marist

Commuters in Poughkeepsie, NY were treated to a rare sight this week: a giant rat standing menacingly outside the entrance to Marist College at the intersection of Route 9 and Edvard Bech Drive.

The confusion over the rat was a major topic of conversation in many local Facebook community groups, as residents wondered what the animal symbolized, and why it was erected outside one of the most well-known colleges in the Hudson Valley. Thankfully, we have some answers.

Who Is "Scabby the Rat"?

"Scabby the Rat" is an inflatable rodent that has become a symbol of labor protests across the country, and is generally utilized in protests by labor unions. With "scab" being the pejorative term to classify a worker who crosses a union picket line, it might seem that workers at Marist were going on strike. Not quite.

Why Workers Are Protesting Outside Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY

While workers flanking Scabby on Thursday morning were handing out flyers assuring passersby that they "are not seeking to induce any person to cease work", as would be the case in a labor strike, they continue to say that they using their platform to spread awareness about a business practice they characterize as "hurting workers' abilities to properly care for themselves and their families"

Labor Dispute at Marist College

The point of contention focuses on Pike Construction and their subcontractor Professional Drywall Construction, who was tapped to complete drywall taping on the new Dyson Center construction project at Marist College. Protesting workers allege that Pike's chosen subcontractor "does not pay its workers the area standards and benefits... thereby destroying their buying power as well as the local economy".

Read More: Best and Worst Colleges in the Hudson Valley Ranked 

The "Dyson Center Transformation" at Marist College is a $60 million project that is meant to expand and improve the original building that was constructed in 1990. Set to complete construction in 2024, the new additions include new classrooms, offices, and lecture halls. From Anthony Proia, Director of Media Relations at Marist College:

Marist is not involved in the hiring of any subcontractors for the Dyson Center construction. This issue is between the project’s carpentry subcontractor Professional Drywall Construction, who is a union contractor, and the local Painter’s Union over drywall taping and we’re disappointed they’re trying to characterize this as a Marist decision

At the time of publishing, there seems to be no resolution between protesting workers and either Pike Construction or Professional Drywall Construction. Heather Mistretta, VP of Marketing at Pike Construction Services shared the following statement:

The dispute at the college is an attempt by [painters and allied trades union] DC9 to show opposition against nonunion contractors, and is intended to call public attention to companies employing nonunion labor. Union and non-union firms were given an opportunity to bid the project and the majority of the subcontracts were awarded to union firms. Subcontracts were awarded based on cost, quality and availability. The issue is not having an impact on construction.

From protesting workers to mystery sculptures and guerilla murals, there seems to always be something to keep driving on Hudson Valley, NY roads interesting. Check out the best ranked Hudson Valley colleges and below, and keep scrolling to see which United States presidents had their higher education in New York.