Cartoon: Sick Out, Don’t Stick Out – Industrial Worker

Editors note: This is the seventh issue in the “Pacey Pratt the Sabo Cat” series. Today, Pacey Pratt teaches us that sticking together as a group is more effective than standing out when confronting the boss!

A twelve-panle comic strip entitled “Pacey Pratt the Sabo Cat in Sick Out, Don’t Stick Out”
In the first panel Hunter performs a calculation on his phone in the foreground while in the background
two delivery workers, Mattie and Bella, push a dresser on a dolly. “Hey Hunter”, says Mattie, “give us a
hand.”
“Oh sorry,” Hunter replies. “My bad.”
In the second panel Hunter helps Mattie and Bella load the dressor into a delivery truck. Another delivery
truck in the background sports a decal reading “Big Time Furniture” with an image of a purple chair.
“You all were right,” says Hunter, “my paycheck didn’t add up again, even after we complained to the
boss about wage theft.”
“They’re shorting all our checks,” says Mattie. “We need to escalate to direct action,” says Bella.
In the third panel all three workers are sitting on the back of the delivery truck eating lunch. “But what if
the boss retaliates?” asks Hunter.
“If we let the boss have all the power, he’ll do what he wants,” says Mattie.
“We can only challenge him by organizing our own power through the union,” says Bella.
In the fourth panel Hunter is walking away from the others, holding his cell phone. “Yeah, okay, but I’m
getting ripped off here,” he says, “and I have rights as an American.”
In the background Mattie says “Yeah, the right to remain silent....”
The fifth panel is divided in two parts by a telephone cord. On one side is Hunter, speaking into his cell
phone with coworkers in the background. “Hello, Police?” he says. “I work in retail and the company is
stealing my wages.”
In the other half of the panel a police officer sits at a desk strewn with papers, speaking into a cordless
telephone. “I see,” he says. “I’m glad you called, but local police don’t handle this type of case. You need
to call the F.B.I., or maybe the army! This could be the crime of the century, so call the president!”
The sixth panel is also divided in half by a phone cord. On one side Hunter clutches his cell phone angrily.
“You’re making fun of me?” he asks. “Did you know the total amount of wage theft each year is more
than all other theft combined?”
In the other half of the panel the police officer has reclined in his chair and put his feet up on the desk.
“Ha ha ha,” he laughs. “What about Space Force? Have you called Space Force yet?”

The seventh panel again is divided by a phone cord. One one side Hunter has transformed from an
ordinary human into Pacey Pratt, the Sabo Cat. In the background Mattie says “It’s Pacey Pratt,” and
Bella responds, “The Sabo Cat!” Pacey speaks into his cell phone, saying “Not to mention all profit is
surplus value stolen from the working class.”
In the other half of the panel the police officer slams the cordless phone down on his desk and says
“Thanks for the laughs guy.”
In the eighth panel a group of nine workers is gathered in a dark room around a wooden table, among
them are Bella, Mattie, Hunter, and Pacey. “The biggest sale of the year is coming up,” says Bella, “and
that gives us leverage.”
“We’ve asked nicely for our pay, now it’s time for direct action,” says another worker.

“You’re right, but I’m still a little bit afraid,” admits Hunter.
“The boss’s power is scary,” says Pacey. “How can workers lower the risk of taking action?”
All the workers respond in unison, “Stick together!”
The ninth panel is divided in half by a phone cord. On one side are a group of workers surrounding
Hunter as he types a text message into his phone. “Can’t come in today boss,” it says. “Sick.”
In the other half of the panel the boss, a giant rat, hears his phone buzz and mutters “Hmmm?” as he sees
the text message.
In the tenth panel twelve workers are holding their phones and texting the boss.
“Out sick.”
“Can’t make it, too sick.”
“Sick today boss.”
“Cough cough.”
“Under the weather today.”
“Feeling ill.”
The boss stands holding his phone, buzzing with texts, and says “Uh oh.”
In the eleventh panel the boss stands in the retail shop, in front of the closed doors. A sign in visible in the
bag ground reading “Big Sale” in big red letters. The outline of a crowd of people is visible in the
background through the glass of the store-front. “There’s a hundred customers outside and the doors are
about to open,” says the boss. “Those wobbly scumbags have hung me out to dry!”
In the final panel the doors have opened and a crush of customers have stampeded into the store,
trampling the boss underfoot. He lay on the ground beneath their feet, reaching up for help. I sign on the
wall reads “Sale!”
Pacey Pratt stands in the foreground, holding a cell phone in one hand and motioning towards the boss
with the other. “Don’t get crushed by capitalism,” he says. “Call the I.W.W. and call in organized.”
Cartoon by x423931 at TwistAway.neocities.org.

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