The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-03-16
STRIKE At IRON WORKS.
FAIL TO SHOW UP
THIS MORNING.
The Union Presents Demands to the
Management Which are Rejected
After Conferences Strike Follows.

The machinists at the Honolulu Iron
Works went on strike this morning.
The strikers number forty-five of fifty,
out of total force employed in all de-
partments, of about 450 to 500. Work
in the machine shop is at a standstil
today on account of the strike, but all
other departments are unaffected.
The strike is due to a series of de-
mands made by the machinists union
on the management of the works which
the latter replied it could not see it's
way clear to grant. Thereupon the
union men walked out as a measure to
force the management to accede to the
demands.
The machinists union is officially Ha-
waiian Lodge, No. 341. International
Association of Machinists. On Thurs
day of this week the union through a
committee consisting of L. Jameson,
Thomas Kimble and William Allen
made series of demands or working
rules for the government and regulation
of employment of machinists, hours of
labor, settlement of disputes between
men and foremen, and that sort of thing
asking that the management of the Ho-
nolulu Iron Works agree to and adopt
them as the rules of the company so far
as machinists are concerned There were
several conferences on the subject be-
tween the committee and officers of the
Iron Works. The answer of the COM
pany to the communication of the COM
mittee of the union was presented yes
terday. This morning the machinists
did not go to work
Many of the demands of the union are
merely a formal statement of shop and
other rules and usages of employment
already in force, and as to these there
was no question or dispute. Some of
the principal demands which the union
asks, and which the Iron Works mama
cement feels that it cannot accede to
are: Only members of the union to be
employed in the company's machine
shops the union to be recognized: a
minimum and average rate scale of
wages all disputes between employees
and foremen or the company to be set
tied by arbitration: when employed on
government work eight hours to be
day work and pay for overtime to be
at double the regular rate; when en-
ployes are laid off because OF slack
work, those laid off to have the first
chance of unemployment, seniority and
efficiency to be considered.
Both in the oral discussion of the
matter by the officers with the menu
bers of the committee and in its formal
reply to the written communication of
the committee, the committee was urg-
ed to use its endeavors to bring about
a reconsideration by the union of those
demands which the company feels it
impossible to grant, on the ground that
the demands will interrupt a continued
course of amicable and mutually salts
factory relations between the manage
ment and the machinists employed, re-
lations which have not before been
marred by strike in the past thiry
years.
There has been no bitterness nor
violent feeling displayed by either side,
so far" said Mr.. Hedemann when seen
IN relation to the strike this morning
and l hope there will not be. The
committee from the machinists has dis
cussed the matter with us at consider
able length We have not come to an
agreement and this morning the ma
chinists did not go to work.
Many of the demands made OF us are
shop rules that have been in operation
Tor years. In reply to the demand that
only members of the union shall be
employed we have replied that to ac-
cede to this demand would be to throw
out of our employ a number of men
who have worked for us for years and
who are as much entitled to employ
ment as any one else, and would be a
discrimination in employment on
basis which we do not think we ought
to make. To recognize the union as
we understand that term would be to
surrender our right to employ men on
the basis of their efficiency and to deal
with them individually. AS to the mini
mum and average rate of wages, the
constant tendency has been toward an
increase of wages. They average at
least dollar a day more here than
they do on the coast. and are paid for
nine instead of ten hours work as there.
Since the company has occupied its new
works the wages of nearly all the men
have been raised. Thus while we think
we have given proof of recognition of
the increased cost of living here, we
cannot surrender our right TO keep
control of some relation between wages
and the prices of work.
"As to eight hours for government
work, our reply was that we could not
always control conditions, but that as
far as we could we would endeaVor to
make such arrangements as would en-
able 1t to give eight hours on govern
ment work"
meeting of the mechanics union
was held last night at which the reply
of the company was presented and con-
sidered, but it was decided to walk out.
1t is probable there will be further con-
ferences on the matter
Fine Book and Commercial Printing
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