Up to 500 workers who lost their jobs at Del Monte Fresh Produce Hawaii when the company abruptly shut down its pineapple operations will get additional severance pay, the union representing the employees said.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142 said the additional severance is the result of a ruling Wednesday by the Hawaii Labor Relations Board.

It said the board agreed with the union that the company had failed to bargain in good faith on the closing.

The labor board ordered the company to boost the severance payments and sit down with the union to negotiate health insurance coverage for workers who have not yet acquired the insurance, the ILWU Local 142 said.

Del Monte announced in February 2006 that it was going to close the Kunia operation in 2008. In November the company said it had accelerated those plans and was closing immediately. It said remaining workers would be paid through Jan. 22.

The union said the labor relations board ruled Del Monte now must calculate severance payments as if the workers stayed through 2008.

The contract with the company requires eight days of pay for every year of service, the union said.

"The HLRB's decision goes a long way to correct the injustice of Del Monte's bad faith bargaining," said ILWU Local Fred Galdones in a news release.

The company, a unit of Coral Gables, Fla.-based Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., didn't comment on the labor decision.

Reach Greg Wiles at gwiles@honoluluadvertiser.com.