lang: en
Summary
In 1938, Hawaiian longshoremen and dock workers struck against the Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company in Honolulu for better wages, working conditions, and a union shop. The strike lasted from February to August and included picketing, marches, and a sit-down protest. Despite the strike failing to achieve its immediate goals, the violent police response known as the Hilo Massacre strengthened unionization and inspired future labor actions in Hawaii.
Background
In the 1920s and 1930s, Hawaiian workers faced strong opposition from plantation owners and large companies like Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company, and ethnic divisions made organizing difficult. After the Wagner Act legalized unions in 1935, Harry Kamoku formed the multi-racial Hilo Longshoreman’s Association in 1935, which later joined the International Longshoremen and Warehousemen’s Union. The unions demanded equal pay with West Coast workers, a union shop, and a five-day work week. In 1938, the Hilo Longshoreman’s Association targeted Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company to achieve these goals.
What happened
On 4 February 1938, workers stopped unloading cargo from Inter-Island’s four steamers in Honolulu [source: nv-database]. Negotiations in March and April failed, and the company laid off about 150 dock workers and launched a public relations campaign [source: nv-database]. On 27 May, union representatives walked out and set up pickets and a strike [source: nv-database]. Inter-Island hired non-union replacement workers, and by July two ships were in full service and a third was set to return [source: nv-database]. On 7 July, an alleged attempt to blow up the SS Waialeale discredited the unions [source: nv-database]. Union leaders set stricter guidelines for public behavior [source: nv-database]. On 19 July, the SS Waialeale resumed full cargo service, and Harry Kamoku reached a gentlemen’s agreement in Hilo that the ship would not deliver full cargo there [source: nv-database]. On 27 July, 150 longshoremen in Kauai demonstrated in solidarity [source: nv-database]. On 1 August, about 200 protesters marched to Pier 2 in Hilo; police threw tear gas, used fire hoses, and after a sit-down protest, a lieutenant stabbed a man with a bayonet and police fired at the crowd with buckshot and birdshot, wounding two women and two children [source: nv-database]. The strike ended on 15 August 1938 without achieving its goals [source: nv-database].
Key people & organizations
- Harry Kamoku
- International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union
- Hilo Longshoremen’s Association
- Inland Boatmen’s Union (IBU)
- Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company Limited
Tactics used
The campaign combined an establishment strike and picketing to disrupt company operations, with marches and a sit-down protest to escalate pressure. These tactics aimed to force the company to negotiate, but the company’s use of scabs and violent police repression ultimately broke the strike. [source: nv-database]
Outcome
Verdict: lost.
The strike failed to achieve any of its six demands, as workers returned to the same conditions [source: nv-database]. However, the unions survived and the Hilo Massacre galvanized public support for unionization, leading to future successful campaigns [source: nv-database].
Lessons
- Violent repression can backfire and strengthen a movement’s long-term resolve, even if the immediate campaign fails.
- Solidarity actions across islands can amplify pressure on a company.
- A clear code of nonviolent discipline helps maintain public support after provocations.
Sources
- Global Nonviolent Action Database —
[[nv-database]]
Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.
Sources & verification
nv-database— grounding: primary — license: link-only- Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via
worker_casestudies_v2.py