Saratoga 1903

Illustration of bricks in a triangular wooden holder with white text on a dark grey background.

A loaded brick hod is a supply for masons or builders. The hod carrier, or hoddie, loads the hod with bricks and carries it to the bricklayers/masons. Usually one hoddie supplies two masons.

In January 1903, a group of Saratoga, New York, painters and paper hangers gave notice that they would strike on April 1 for shorter hours and higher wages. Thirty bricklayers and masons joined them in striking. The strike worked for both professions. The painters and paper hangers got an 8 hour day for $2.375, and the brick layers got a 9 hour day for 45c per hour. They were not the only strikers. The Indianapolis Journal reported the Saratoga strike in an article describing construction strikes across the nation, all happening on April 1, 1903.