The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-07-28
STRIKE OF BO|LERMAKERS.
FORTY MEN WALK OUT OF IRON
WORKS.
Their Complaint is Against Their Fore
man who is said to be a Hard Man.
Hedemann Talks of the Matter.

AT o'clock yesterday afternoon near
~ forty expert boilermakers left the
Honolulu Iron Works with the full de
termination never to return again until
their foreman, Mckay, had been dis
charged. The men are not at work to-
day At o'clock this afternoon there
will be a meeting with Manager Hede-
mann at which the matter will be set
tied in some shape
This trouble has been brewing for
some time. According to the men, Nc
Kay is a hard overseer, driving ana
even cursing the wOrkmen. At different
times there has been great dissatlstaC-
ton and more than once considerable
sections of the crew of boilermakers
have considered the matter of leaving
in a body. This week. according to the
men. the oppression of the foreman be-
came simply unbearable. On Wednes-
day night a meeting of the men was
held at which it was decided that all
should leave the works, unless II their
services were appreciated to that eX-
tent. the foreman was removed from
their shop Yesterday morning a dele
CATION made this decision known to
Manager Hedemann and in the after
noon the strike took place as stated.
The trouble is one between the men
and their foreman. None of the boiler
makers have any kick against the
! work, their employers nor the salaries
received. lntN are DtlleCllS SdIloiiIN
| in all these particulars.
II can say for the iron works. said
| Manager Hedemann this morning, that
we regret very much the trouble b.
tween the boiermakers and the fore
| man. The matter is being thoroughly
| investigated. 1 hope that before night
some basis of agreement will be reach
| ed.
THE bolermakers are, everyone. Al
men, They were carefully selectai at
! San Francisco, and in all my expert
ence | have never seen better set or
workmen. They are sober, industrious
| and really seem to be above ne aver
| age mechanic in every way. The II on
works has paid them we'll and will con-
tinue to do so. and we do not begrudge
| them good wages, for they deserve 1t.
| Foreman Mckay is also a good man.
| His services in the past have been en-
| tirely satisfactory. He has thorough
command of his work. OF late We Rave
| had so many orders from plantations
| for rush work that we have perhaps
strained him a bit. The plantations are
pushing u.s. we push him and fear this
has had most to do with his urging the
men on and perhaps earning their dis
pleasure. Thus, perhaps If 1t were not
| the rush season the trouble would not
have arisen at all.
THE position of the iron works is
clear We do not care to lose the ser
vices of the men, for, as | say, they are
superior mechanics and are exception
ally satisfactory to us. At the same
time it will be a sacritic to lose Mr. Nc
! Kay, who has also been eminently sat
isfactory. But there is serious trou-
bic between him on the one side and
the men on the other. When thirty-ti five
to forty men unite in a complaint of this
kind, there is certainly cause behin6
it all. None of the men are labor agi-
tators or anything of that sort. They
are upright gentlemen and We believe
they feel they are doing right
"Our intentions then are briefly this
We have given Mr.. Mckay until
o'clock this afternoon to straighter
himself out with the men. He has time
to see each one of them and talk the
matter over. If by the time stated, h
has not come to a satisfactory agree
ment with them, We will dispense witt
his services, as much as we regret 81
to do"
Mr.. Hedemann was asked if the boil
ermakers had a union here and, if so, /
that body may not have had something
to do with declaring the strike. THE!
have a society,"" replied the manager
IT believe; but here it is different t,
that of San Francisco and other cities
The local society contains no agitatOr
nor trouble makers. In other words /
is of better material. / think that they
in handling matters of this sort, haV
tried and will always endeaVor to dea
/, fairly with both sides"