HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.R. NO.169           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     HOUSE  RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE VARIOUS STATE DEPARTMENTS TO ASSIST IN THE
   DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO
   ASSIST DISPLACED EMPLOYEES OF PIONEER MILL TO OBTAIN OTHER
   EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.



 1       WHEREAS, Pioneer Mill in Lahaina, Maui, has had a long and
 2   illustrious history which dates back to 1895; and
 3   
 4       WHEREAS, Pioneer Mill currently has approximately 5,000
 5   acres of land under sugar cultivation, with 500 acres currently
 6   in coffee cultivation and 2000 acres to be used for future
 7   diversification; and
 8   
 9       WHEREAS, at its peak of business, this long-time company
10   once employed over 4,000 people, making it the largest employer
11   in west Maui; and
12   
13       WHEREAS, however, due to continuous financial losses in the
14   cultivation of sugar, Pioneer Mill has announced that it will
15   close its sugar operations at the end of 1999; and
16   
17       WHEREAS, upon its closure, Pioneer Mill will have released
18   about 76 employees from direct employment; and
19   
20       WHEREAS, there is a growing concern regarding the future of
21   these displaced employees and their families as well as the
22   community in terms of the available employment opportunities in
23   the immediate area; and
24   
25       WHEREAS, as with other sugar mills that have closed or are
26   closing on Oahu, Hawaii, and Kauai, opportunities do exist for
27   small farming operations in agricultural parks, subsidies, and
28   other agricultural programs; and
29   
30       WHEREAS, however, there are also other employment options
31   that should be pursued to give displaced employees every
32   opportunity to integrate them into the community and to provide
33   replacement job opportunities, particularly entrepreneurship
34   and other job skills training and education; and

 
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 1       WHEREAS, such programs and services should be made
 2   available to the displaced employees of Pioneer Mill as soon as
 3   possible so that the economic impact on their lives and the
 4   community will be mitigated; now, therefore,
 5   
 6       BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
 7   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
 8   of 1999, that the Department of Agriculture is requested to
 9   take the lead, along with the other state departments mentioned
10   in this Resolution, in the development and implementation of
11   programs and services to assist displaced employees of Pioneer
12   Mill to obtain other employment opportunities; and
13   
14       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that:
15   
16       (1)  The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations is
17            requested to provide assistance in job seeking, job
18            skills training, and community services development;
19   
20       (2)  The Department of Education is requested to provide
21            assistance in the development of an educator/mentoring
22            program in schools and alternative educational
23            opportunities;
24   
25       (3)  The Department of Business, Economic Development, and
26            Tourism is requested to provide assistance in
27            entrepreneurship training, community development
28            training, small business planning and development, and
29            other strategic planning efforts that will provide
30            opportunities for employment and business ownership;
31            and
32   
33       (4)  The Department of Agriculture and the Department of
34            Land and Natural Resources are requested to provide
35            assistance in the planning and development of farming
36            and other agricultural, horticultural, and other land-
37            based opportunities;
38   
39   and
40   
41       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Agriculture,
42   in cooperation with the Department of Labor and Industrial
43   Relations, the Department of Education, the Department of
44   Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, and the Department

 
 
 
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                                  H.R. NO.169           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1   of Land and Natural Resources, submit a report of the actions
 2   taken pursuant to this Resolution to the Legislature no later
 3   than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of
 4   2000; and
 5   
 6       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
 7   Resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of
 8   Hawaii, the mayors and the council chairs of the respective
 9   counties, the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, the
10   Director of Labor and Industrial Relations, the Superintendent
11   of Education, the Director of Business, Economic Development,
12   and Tourism, the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural
13   Resources, the General Manager of Pioneer Mill, and the
14   President and Business Agent of Local 142 of the International
15   Longshore and Warehouse Union.
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19                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________