Del Monte Fresh Produce and the union representing its workers will appear before the Hawai'i Labor Relations Board next week to discuss a union-filed complaint made earlier this year regarding the shutdown of the company's Kunia pineapple operations.

The ILWU Local 142 filed the complaint in August, alleging Del Monte negotiated in bad faith on issues of enhanced severance packages and medical benefits, said Rebecca Covert, an attorney for the union.

The two sides had met in April, May and June to discuss issues concerning future layoffs at the plantation after Del Monte said in February it would cease operations by the end of 2008.

On Friday the company accelerated those plans, announcing an immediate end to operations because of low pineapple yields at its Kunia plantation and depressed pineapple prices worldwide. Del Monte said it would lay off 551 workers on Jan. 22 as a result of the closing.

The complaint regarded issues that occurred through August, Covert said.

Del Monte didn't return telephone calls asking for comment.

Meanwhile, developer Peter Savio said he hopes to work on saving Kunia Camp, a plantation village that's in jeopardy of being torn down if Del Monte, the ILWU and landowner Campbell Estate can't reach an agreement on maintaining the worker housing.

Savio said he's already been in contact with the union and has talked with Del Monte and Campbell about buying and reselling the land and homes to the 125 families that live in the settlement off of Kunia Road. There are about 120 homes occupied by Del Monte workers, managers and retirees on the about 50-acre property.

ILWU Local 142 President Fred Galdones has said Del Monte is interested in finding a way for families to continue living at Kunia Camp until the company's lease runs out at the end of 2008. Campbell Estate also wants to see if something can be done about letting people remain, Galdones said Monday.

Savio said he'd like to help with the process, donating some of his company's time to preserving the camp that represents some of Hawai'i's agricultural history. Such housing was prevalent in the state when sugarcane and pineapple plantations brought in immigrants to help work the fields. The Kunia camp is the last remaining working plantation village on O'ahu, Galdones said.

"I'm ready to step in and to try to put it all together," Savio said. "I feel very strongly the camp has to be preserved."

Savio is in the process of helping former Del Monte workers buy 63 homes at another former plantation facility, the Poamoho Camp, also on O'ahu.

He has paid $2.6 million for the Poamoho property with a First Hawaiian Bank loan and has spent two years readying a request for zoning changes and other government approvals. Those should be filed in the next several weeks, Savio said.

If and when he receives approvals, Savio will start sales of the homes. He said they probably will be priced at about $50,000 each.

Del Monte also last week lost an appeal to the Hawai'i Supreme Court of a labor board decision in favor of the union.

The union's complaint stemmed from the 2003 partial closing and relocation of the company's chilled fruit operations off of Waiakamilo Road. It involved allegations that the company engaged in unfair labor practices and interfered with the exercise of employee rights.

The labor board had decided in the union's favor and that decision was mostly upheld when the company appealed it to the Hawai'i Supreme Court. As a result, Del Monte will probably have to pay enhanced severance benefits to 55 people who were let go in the 2003 closing.

Reach Greg Wiles at gwiles@honoluluadvertiser.com.