as part of the new deal, congress in 1935 passed the wagner act, legalizing workers' right to join and be represented by labor unions. hawaii — not yet a state — had been, starting in the 1920s, virtually controlled by the "big five": alexander & baldwin, c. brewer, castle & cooke, american factors, and theo. davies. furthermore, the hawaii labor force had been divided up into racial blocs, which helped keep wages low.