BUSINESS BRIEFS
Hawaiian to give workers bonuses
Advertiser Staff
Hawaiian Airlines said it is giving its employees a bonus that will be paid from the $52.5 million settlement of the company's lawsuit against Mesa Air Group Inc.
All employees who meet eligibility rules will receive the higher of $500 ($250 part time) or 1.5 percent of their 2007 pay.
"I am pleased to announce a special bonus for all employees (except officers) who have helped us navigate the treacherous waters of our industry over the last two years," President and CEO Mark Dunkerley said in a letter to employees.
Mesa Air Group, the Phoenix-based parent company of go!, last month agreed to pay Hawaiian $52.5 million to settle charges that it misused confidential information to enter the interisland market.
"This special bonus is to thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to our company," Dunkerley continued. "These past two years and particularly the six weeks since Aloha stopped flying have been a defining period for our company. We have met every challenge, we have strengthened our company, and we have taken care of our customers."
HAWAI'I FARM WORKFORCE DOWN 1%
Hawai'i's farm workforce totaled 10,400 during April, down 1 percent from the same month a year earlier, according to a report by the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
There were 1,150 pineapple and sugarcane workers employed during the month, down 4 percent from a year earlier.
The average wage paid to all hired workers during the week was estimated at $13.28 an hour, up 3 percent from the same period a year earlier. The combined average wage for field and livestock workers was estimated at $10.91 per hour, up 1.3 percent from a year earlier.
3 PROJECTS TO GET STATE-ISSUED BONDS
Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday signed several bills authorizing the issuance of special purpose revenue bonds for commercial ventures in the state.
The state will sell up to $20 million of bonds to help Oceanlinx Hawaii LLC build a 2.7-megawatt wave energy facility off the coast of Maui.
A bond issue of up to $100 million of bonds was approved to assist Jacoby Development Inc. in construction of a plasma solid waste-to-energy facility.
A bond issue of up to $35 million was approved to help Sopogy Inc. build a solar farm power plant on O'ahu.
DOMAIN NAME NETS $100,000 BID
An organic coffee farmer in Kona says he has received a $100,000 bid for the Internet domain name "coffee.org."
Thomas Weinstein said he bought the domain name four years ago for an undisclosed amount.
The online auction for the www.coffee.org domain name will continue until Tuesday. The auction is being run by www.Sedo.com, an Internet research and appraisal company.
WAIMEA CANYON 3RD-BEST ATTRACTION
Kaua'i's Waimea Canyon was rated the third-best free attraction in the United States by travel Web site TripAdvisor.
No. 1 was the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas, followed by Arlington National Cemetery.
"As travelers look for ways to save on their vacation this summer, TripAdvisor has recommended top attractions with a price that appeals to even the most frugal visitors," said Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor.
