200 turn out
for job fair

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Star-Bulletin staff

A job fair for hotel and restaurant workers who lost jobs since Sept. 11 attracted at least 200 people yesterday, according to organizers of the event.

The fair was held at Local 5 Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union headquarters.

The state Department of Labor Workforce Development Division accepted applications for about 225 positions available with the newly created conservation corps, said Local 5 President Eric Gill.

The legislature in the recent special session appropriated $1.5 million for the program which will focus on clean-up related to dengue fever, and the eradication of miconia, coqui frogs and fire ants.

Since many of the conservation corps positions are located on the Neighbor Islands, what is needed is more help for displaced Waikiki hotel and restaurant workers, Gill said.

Although numbers vary from week to week depending upon hotel occupancy, Gill estimates at least 1,500 union members are now not working enough hours to qualify for health insurance.

Statewide, more than 30,000 workers have filed unemployment claims since the attacks.

In addition to job applications, Gill said the job fair also provided information to displaced workers about employee assistance programs, options on their 401K plans and food stamp assistance.