noun General Slang

Scab

· noun · construction

A worker who crosses a picket line, or a non-union hand on a union job.

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Definitions

1

A worker who crosses a picket line during a strike, or takes a striking worker's job. The ultimate insult in union trades — once you're branded a scab, the name follows you. Used the same way across construction, mining, longshoring, and the railroads.

“Three scabs tried to walk in through the gate this morning.”
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2

By extension: any non-union worker on what should be a union job, or a contractor running non-union crews to undercut the local scale.

“That outfit's all scab — they're forty percent under our rate.”
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3

As a verb: to do the work of a striker, or to work non-union on union turf.

“He scabbed during the '04 strike — nobody on this local will work next to him.”
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Scab In A Sentence

Three scabs tried to walk in through the gate this morning.
That outfit's all scab — they're forty percent under our rate.
He scabbed during the '04 strike — nobody on this local will work next to him.

Origin & Usage

British slang from the 1700s, where 'scab' meant a contemptible person (literally, a scabby one). Picked up by American labour unions in the 1800s for strikebreakers.

Variants scabbingscabbed
Tags #construction#trades#union#labor

People Also Ask

What does scab mean?

A scab is a worker who crosses a picket line, or a non-union hand working a union job.

How do you use scab in a sentence?

"The strikers shouted 'scab' at anyone going into work."

Is calling someone a scab offensive?

Yes, it's a serious insult in labour circles — it accuses someone of betraying fellow workers during a strike.

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