News Paper Article (Short Written Product)

Hawaii Workers Strike
Dylan Gera
Honolulu Advertiser
On the morning of the 4th of May 1931 the city of Honolulu woke up to find a large scale strike in progress. Many of the local plantation workers here on Oahu banded together and began to protest the state wide lowering of pay and the lengthening of hours during the summer season. The workers are refusing to return to their jobs until their demands are met. These demands include: 1). Withholding the pay lowering of the workers 2). Putting an end to the lengthened hours for the summer months.
The Filipinos were originally brought in to fill the deficit of workers left by the Japanese when they went on strike. Another term being “scab” workers. Without these Filipino workers much less sugarcane would have been reaped during the Japanese’ workers strike and the economy would have suffered. Since the original immigration of the Filipino’s their population has swelled and the Filipinos are now one of the largest minority groups in Hawaii. Without the Filipinos working the harvest will almost definitely suffer and, in turn, the economy that is so dependent on it. The Filipinos, since their arrival, have contributed much to the islands including food and helping develop pidgin speak. The addition of chicken adobo, tapa and soy sauce has made Filipino cuisine a much requested food choice here in the islands. The Filipino language also makes up a very large part of the commonly spoken pidgin language.
It is of yet unclear who the strike was organized by but many think it was Carl Damaso, a well known labor activist here in the islands. Damaso has tried to organize unions and strike for workers benefits on the islands of Maui and Hawaii. “Carl Damaso has caused quite the uproar with this strike” says Aiea plantation supervisor, Thomas Jones, “these strikes don’t help anyone; they just prevent work from getting done”. However, Filipino activist Bayani Abacan feels that striking is the only way to make a difference. He says: “We need to let the luna and the plantation manager know that we are the workers and we are the company”. The Filipinos have received support from some of the other ethnic groups on Oahu mainly the Japanese who, after at first being at odds with the Filipino’s, are now one of their closest allies.
The strike is still ongoing and almost no word had been heard from the top plantation managers about any changes in pay or working hours. Hopefully, the strike will end and the workers will return to their jobs before more potential harvesting time is lost.