Over 200 apply for arena jobs--Hill District residents get first break at Consol Energy Center hirings
Timia Harris, center, from the Hill House Center, passes out applications on Wednesday for part-time employment at the new Consol Energy Center at Wesley Center AME Church in the Hill District. John Heller/Post-Gazette
One after another, more than 200 residents of the Hill District filed into the Wesley Center AME Church on Wednesday evening to fill out four-page applications for better futures.
The jobs they are seeking at the new Consol Energy Center will be with Aramark, the company running the food-service concession in the arena. They include food and beverage stand workers, cooks and kitchen help, and servers and bartenders. Starting wages, depending upon the job, range from $6.35 an hour plus tips to $12.50 an hour.
One of the applicants, Carl Lewis, 25, of Finland Street, a student at Community College of Allegheny County, has worked as a cook before and thought he might have an advantage in getting hired in the new arena.
"I think everybody who lives up here appreciates having the opportunity," he said. "It's a good thing for the neighborhood. It looks like it's helping."
"There is an interest, you can tell by the number of people here," said Carl Redwood, president of the Hill District Planning Forum. "People need jobs, they need good jobs, and these are relatively good-paying jobs. And they're union jobs."
Mr. Redwood, along with other residents and organizations, spent months pushing the city, the county and the Penguins to guarantee that the new arena being built in the Hill District to house the hockey team and other events would guarantee jobs to the neighborhood's residents. The Community Benefits Agreement that the groups signed puts those residents first in line for new hiring.
"If we're not able to get the good jobs in our neighborhood, we're going to slowly get displaced and pushed out of our neighborhood," Mr. Redwood said. "We want to make sure that the people who live here and built this neighborhood up are here in the future. It's very important that we, as Hill District residents, stand together and stand up for our neighborhood."
Aramark and members of the First Source Hiring Center set up shop in the basement of the church Wednesday night to assist residents with the application process. Although the two-hour session was promoted only by fliers, bills stapled to utility poles and word-of-mouth, the turnout was more than organizers had expected.
"We've made a lot of headway," said Ken J. Nesbit, of First Source Center. "People need jobs, whether they're part time or not, so we're happy to be instrumental in moving the applications forward."
The applications were fairly straight-forward, with fields for military service, education and criminal history, and past work experience. But anyone needing assistance with the process was able to ask questions of the counselors on hand.
The applicants were told that Aramark doesn't know how many jobs will be available but the company is seeking employees who are good with people, who look nice, who know how to handle money and have experience. Those contacted about jobs will be coached through the interview process.
Barney Oursler, of Pittsburgh United, said the union would make sure that those who are hired receive proper training and promised that they would have more opportunities for better pay as they accrue seniority.
Other arena jobs, such as ushers, ticket-takers, custodians and parking-lot workers, could be further down the line, Mr. Nesbit said. There also will be new jobs in a hotel to be built nearby.
One of those who applied was Flora Harris, 51, of Chauncey Drive in the Hill District, who currently works as a personal care attendant.
"I need a steady income," she said. "And we need a lot of jobs in the Hill District, so I think it's very important."
Kim Platt, 54, of Reed Street, currently works for Aramark as a vendor at Heinz Field.
"I'm trying to get employed at the Consol Arena. I need more hours," said Mr. Platt, a lifelong resident of the Hill District. "The economy is really bad right now. Anything more than what I'm doing right now will be beneficial to me.
"And this is immense. There are a lot of people in the Hill District who aren't working. Just being a part of the growth of a new part of town ... you really can't put a value on what it means to the community. If they employ 100 people, that's 100 people who are no longer unemployed. The impact will be huge."