Hundreds of workers displaced by the shutdown of Del Monte Fresh Produce's Kunia pineapple operations are set to pick up their last paychecks today, but many have yet to secure new jobs or undergo training programs.

Del Monte announced last February that it would close its Kunia pineapple operations by the end of 2008. But in November, it shut down operations immediately because of lower production and pineapple prices and laid off 551 employees.

Two months later, most of them still haven't found new jobs and many haven't begun preparing to do so, said ILWU Local 142 social worker Joanne Kealoha.

Some were afraid they would lose their severance package if they got another job, and some workers just wanted "a little vacation," she said.

While some have found new work in agriculture and other areas, others who have been actively looking still need training.

"I know several of them that are applying all over the place," Kealoha said. "But even though the job market is pretty good, they don't have all the skills that some of the employers are looking for. That's why these training programs ... (are) going to be really important for them."

At least a couple of hundred Del Monte employees attended a job fair organized by the state and other agencies last month. More than 50 employers took applications and conducted interviews. The state also handed out information on more than 30 other companies that were seeking employees.

Still, Kealoha guessed that fewer than a quarter of the displaced workers have found jobs. Training will be critical for many workers, especially for jobs in non-agricultural fields. For example, she said, "a bunch" of employees had applied for a job but struggled over a math test they were required to take. Most workers are over 50, and for many, English is a second language, she said. While some will retire, most of them have to find new jobs.

"The largest hurdle is getting them to accept the training ... so they can prepare themselves for another job," Kealoha said. "It's changing their mindset so they feel that they should have the confidence to be able to get into something else. ... We're just letting the people know that there are many options for them; it's not just ag, because ag is limited, too."

FEDERAL, UNION AID

The U.S. Department of Labor on Friday awarded the state a $569,230 grant to provide employment assistance to about 180 displaced Del Monte workers.

The federal government also recently certified the Del Monte workers as eligible to apply for help through Trade Adjustment Assistance and Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance programs. Income allowances are available for some workers who are participating in full-time training, and wage subsidies are available for eligible workers age 50 or older who find new employment at a lower salary.

Kealoha said the ILWU will still continue to provide services to displaced Del Monte workers even though they will no longer be dues-paying members of the union.

Several of the couple dozen Del Monte workers who were laid off in November have been taking classes at Leeward Community College, and some have earned their competency-based and high school diplomas and found jobs, said Rolanse Crisafulli, administrator of Oahu Work Links. Oahu Work Links, a partnership of government and community agencies, offers free services for job seekers.

Earl Totten, head maintenance repairman for Del Monte's fresh fruit packing area and a union representative, is one of about 30 workers who have been temporarily retained to disassemble the equipment and facilities. Totten, who is 59 and has worked for Del Monte for almost 42 years, said he will begin looking for a new job when his Del Monte work ends, which may be in a couple of months.

"I'm an old man having to go into a young man's world to find a job," he said, adding that he's ready to undergo training if necessary for a new job. "I gotta go with the flow."

Totten also agreed with Kealoha that many still haven't found a job.

"There are some that looked around and found something, but a lot of them ... are just waiting for the final ax to fall," he said. "The reality hasn't really set in. I think when Del Monte no longer pays them, maybe after that, reality will set in."

MAUNA KEA LAYOFFS

The situation appears to be better on the Big Island, where the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel — which employed more than 450 workers — closed abruptly last month after the discovery of more structural damage from the Oct. 15 earthquakes. Hotel operator Prince Resorts Hawaii initially said most of the hotel's workers, who also are represented by the ILWU, would lose their jobs.

But about 200 of the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel's employees are still working at other facilities on the resort, including the Mauna Kea Golf Course, pro shop, club house, luxury vacation rentals and a few restaurants.

About 100 employees found work at the hotel's sister property, the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, which has picked up business from guests who originally booked stays at the Mauna Kea, said Charles Park, general manager of both hotels.

Smaller groups of people also have been hired at other Kohala Coast hotels such as the Fairmont Orchid Hawaii and the Kona Village Resort.

The union is trying to track down where other workers have gone, said ILWU Hawai'i division director Richard Baker Jr. "A lot of the guys" are interested in computer skills and other training, he said, and some are also evaluating their options rather than jumping at the first job offered to them.

"Due to the market, they're being selective and they have choices," Baker said.

A WORKERS' MARKET

It's a contrast from when the Mauna Kea closed for more than a year for renovations in 1994. Then, other hotels were not hiring, he said.

"There was no shortage," Baker said. "Right now there is. ... It's more of a workers' market this time."

Baker said he hasn't heard complaints from employees, but that there have been concerns about fewer tips because of the decline in customers from the hotel closure.

The Fairmont Orchid hired 10 Mauna Kea workers out of 30 applicants, said spokeswoman Aven Wright-McIntosh. She noted that while some didn't pass the hotel's screening process, others withdrew their application so they could work at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel.

Some have even told her they were considering other opportunities, like joining a family business, going back to school, or moving away to be closer to family.

Laid-off workers received their last paycheck from the hotel Jan. 2, but Park said displaced part- and full-time workers will receive continued medical benefits through the end of February.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel officials should know within a month the scope of the repair work on the property, Park said. He estimated the repairs will take about 18 months, after which displaced employees will be given the opportunity to return and still keep their years of service earned with the hotel.

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com.