Honolulu Record, August 26, 1948, vol. 1 no. 4, p. 3
Sugar Agreements
The biggest item of interest in the labor scene this week is the successful culmination of negotiations for a new agreement between the ILWU, and the sugar industry to run to August 31, 1950.
The wage structure of the sugar workers under the agreement will remain the same except for those at Onomea Sugar Co., who will take a five cent cut in wages. Two wage reopenings are provided for in all agreements save for those with Hilo Sugar Co., Pepeekeo Sugar Co., Pioneer Mill and Onomea Sugar which provide for only one wage reopening.
The agreements are with all sugar companies with the exception of Olaa, with which negotiations are still being conducted.
Constant negotiations and fact finding resulted in four of the five plantations withdrawing their edmand [sic] for wage cut.
While the sugar industry and the sugar workers union successfully concluded its discussions, one ILWU union and the AFL were still riding the see-saw of negotiations this week.
No Settlement at Love’s
ILWU Local 150 has still not been able to reach an agreement with Love's Bakery, over wages and job classification.
The quiet front was momentarily broken, however, by a walkout on Monday by about 200 workers for a few hours. Indications are that the workers were protesting against the layoff of a steward without a week's notice, an oral agreement between the company and the union.
HRT Strike Almost Certain
With the announcement by the Federal Conciliation and Mediation Service that it is reluctant to enter the HRT controversy because territorial laws provide for mediation, a strike of the Transit workers on August 31 seems almost a certainty.
Negotiations following the report of the emergency fact finding board find the disputants at practically the same positions they held before fact finding.
Fact Finding Process
Meanwhile, the Brotherhood of Electrical workers are still in the stage of fact finding and negotiations with the Mutual Telephone Co., and the Hawaiian Electric Co.
Up to press time, it was felt that the issues in dispute between the union and the light company—wages, union shop and right to cross picket lines—would be resolved imminently.
The phone company dispute is awaiting the appointment of a fact finding body by the governor.
Feeling the Pinch
Coca-Cola workers are still on strike with no likelihood of an early settlement of issue covering wages and the union shop. Earlier meetings of the union with the company were devoid of results.
In the meantime, the city is beginning to see fewer coke bottles in the stores and in self-serving machines.