How this orange cat became a voice for US union workers

An orange tabby cat named Jorts has become something of a mascot for the labor movement in the United States.

And if none of this delights you, you can stop reading now.

Jorts, along with his feline companion Jean, rose to internet fame in December when an anonymous author posted a very sweet story on Reddit about the two workplace cats.

In the post, the author jokes about how cute Jorts is but, well, kind of dumb. At least compared to Jean, a tortoiseshell cat who can open doors and not fall into the dumpster all the time like Jorts does. Jean is clearly the brains of the operation, in the author’s account.

The story evolves into a dispute with a co-worker who accuses the author of “perpetuating ethnic stereotypes by saying that orange cats are dumb.”

As is often the case on the internet, the post took on a life of its own. Battle lines were drawn, pro-Jorts alliances formed, and Jorts got his own Twitter account. (Or mostly his own, anyway – Jean helps him.) He now has nearly 139,000 followers.

“The explosion of fanart and memes was so fun and really touching,” said the human behind Jorts’ Twitter account, who asked to remain anonymous.

It’s against the law for your boss to prohibit you from discussing your workers and also remembering your coworkers, there are more than there are bosses pic.twitter.com/d5Ln3h7x6N

— Jorts (and Jean) (@JortsTheCat) January 2, 2022

“I think we were at a collective moment where we needed something affectionate to bring us together,” the person said of the cats’ sudden fame. “It was also one of those rare stories where there was no villain. Life is full of these stories, but they don’t blow up often on the internet.”

It didn’t take long for Jorts to reveal himself as a union cat. One tweeter prolific, Jorts devoted himself to sustaining pro-labour accounts, fighting inequality and condemning corporate greed. Also, birds. And naps. And knocking over glasses of water.

“I really didn’t expect ‘Jorts’ to take this moment of virality and turn it into a totally charming and militantly pro-union feed,” tweeted political cartoonist Tom Tomorrow.

Jorts’ mix of practical organizing advice and sheer nonsense taps into America’s renewed fervor for unionization and the internet’s enduring love of cat memes.

Earlier this month, Jorts and Jean tweeted their “four steps to forming a union” – one for each of their paws.

Unions in the USA

Organized labor in the United States is enjoying a renaissance under Joe Biden, the most pro-union president since Lyndon Johnson, or perhaps more so than ever, depending on who you ask.

A Gallup poll last fall found that 68% of respondents have a positive view of unions – the best reading for that question dates back to 1965, and up from just 48% in 2009.

Younger workers are even stronger supporters of unions, with 77% of those aged 34 and under taking a positive view.

Over the past year, unionization efforts and strikes (and managers’ efforts to quell them) have garnered national attention.

In December, a Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, became the first location in the United States to unionize, despite the deployment of a phalanx of executives trying to dissuade workers. Since then, dozens of Starbucks stores across the country have started their own efforts.

Meanwhile, Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama, have renewed their organizing efforts after a defeat last spring, and Target is openly advising its managers on how to stop employees from unionizing.

Against this backdrop, Jorts is both a pure cute presence and a staunch supporter of the work, armed with practical advice and links to resources from the National Labor Relations Board, among others.

In a thread posted in January, Jorts offered a cute picture of himself alongside a sober thread about what can and can’t be talked about in the workplace.

“It is illegal for your boss to ban you from discussing your wages with your coworkers, and also remember that there are more employees than bosses,” reads one of the tweets.

In some ways, Jorts resembles another red-haired Twitter icon: Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty. That wide-eyed 7-foot monster is also an internet sensation who has become the star of countless anti-fascist and anti-capitalist memes since he was introduced in 2018.

The main difference, aside from his obvious size disparity, is that Gritty is apolitical – his big goofy face works great in liberal memes, for reasons that make no logical sense but need no explanation on social media.

Both Jorts and Jean live full-time in a 24/7 workplace, the person behind the Twitter account told CNN Business. “If a cat is sick, they go home with someone… They live at work, but there is always someone on the premises.”

The person said they’d like to think cats aren’t aware of their sudden fame, but “I almost swear Jean knows.”

Oh, Jean.

A lot of things are stacked up real unfair right now. Jean says once we name the unfairness the next step is planning how we fight it pic.twitter.com/T07U8N3SBH

— Jorts (and Jean) (@JortsTheCat) February 4, 2022

One of the most endearing elements of Jorts’ Twitter presence is his tenderness and affection for Jean, a kind of wise older brother who is guiding Jorts on his journey towards justice and equality.

In a particularly affectionate post, Jorts posts a photo of Jean with the statement: “A lot of things are stacked really unfairly right now. Jean says that once we name injustice, the next step is to plan how we are going to fight it.”

Despite Jorts’ articulate messages and progressive views on workers’ rights, he is not interested in political office at the moment, according to the person behind the account.

“Jorts is too young to run for office,” the person said. “Furthermore, Jorts and Jean agree that running for office that would impact human law is best left to someone who has direct experience of being human.”

Chris Isidore of CNN Business contributed to this article.