A fine bit of hyperbole there. Here’s the Merriam-Webster set of possible definitions of “scab” in a labour context:
(1) a worker who refuses to join a labor union
(2) a union member who refuses to strike or returns to work before a strike has ended
(3) a worker who accepts employment or replaces a union worker during a strike
(4) one who works for less than union wages or on nonunion terms
So which one applies here? Who is the “scab” when no writing is being done, and the scripted parts of the show have explicitly been eliminated? Is it the cameraman? The sound guy? The other crew members who can finally get back to earning a living again? Is it Maher himself? All of the above?
Or is it invested union supporters going into paroxysms of hysteria over the fact that a television show is returning, even though it’s in a manner that has absolutely nothing to do with them?