200 Hill residents jockey for jobs at new arena
Larry Bates, 23, of the Hill District fills out a job application for Consol Energy Center during a meeting Wednesday in Wesley Center AME Church.
Collette Brooks wants a chance at a job in Consol Energy Center.
"Just let me get in the door. I'm gonna tear it up," the 50-year-old Hill District resident said Wednesday evening.
She was among about 200 Hill residents who packed a sweltering community room in Wesley Center AME Church to fill out applications for part-time jobs at the new home of the Pittsburgh Penguins, scheduled to open this fall.
The applicants ranged from young to old, chronically unemployed or looking for a second or even a third job.
Though fliers touting the meeting said there could be 200 union jobs, leaders of the Hill District Consensus Group and Pittsburgh UNITED said it's unclear how many positions will be available through food service company Aramark.
As part of a community agreement forged among city and neighborhood leaders, Hill District residents will get the first shot at arena jobs.
"It's important we hang together and stand up for ourselves and stand up for our neighborhood," said Carl Redwood, head of the Hill District Consensus Group.
The jobs available at Consol include concession stand workers, cashiers, cooks,servers and bartenders. According to the consensus group, hourly pay for union jobs will range between $10.85 and $12.50. Some workers could earn tips.
Redwood said that once workers are hired, they'll have a chance to advance to full-time positions at the arena and in other commercial and retail development that could spring up around the sports complex.
There are no guarantees as to how many Hill District residents will be hired. Redwood said his group will be tracking residents through the hiring process to make sure it's a fair one.
"Even if it is 200, there are still thousands of people looking for jobs," Redwood said. The latest statistics show an unemployment rate of 8.4 percent in the region.
Barney Oursler, executive director of Pittsburgh UNITED, said the application meeting was the first of what he hopes will be many related to the community agreement and Hill District development.
It is a way "to show the hiring community that this can work," Oursler said.
Bradley Scott, 27, has been unemployed since December and said the job search has been frustrating.
"You have to stay positive," Scott said. "Something's gonna come through."
Robin Hanner, 45, has worked for PNC Bank for six years, but is looking for another job to help pay for her daughter's college education starting in 2011.
"There's a lot of people in the Hill that need a job," Hanner said.