http://www.hammondstar.com/articles/...ies/news01.txt
By
Heather Crain
Lines were longer at disaster relief locations Thursday than at the "After Hurricane Katrina" Job Fair & Resource Exchange at the Hammond Recreation Center.
Fewer than 100 job seekers had signed the registry as of 1 p.m. to take advantage of a five-hour event, which began at 9 that morning.
The sea of vehicles outside the recreation center an hour after the fair began were not from interested residents looking for honest jobs but from 30 North Shore businesses ready and willing to hire.
The LWIA 20 Workforce Center along with several other organizations sponsored the job fair, which included businesses from across the spectrum such as fast food restaurants, warehouses, motels, nursing homes, nonprofit organizations and more.
By 9 a.m., the booths were set up and the doors were open for potential job seekers to fill out applications, do interviews and gather information on pay, benefits and more.
Several business owners and representatives commented early on during the job fair that they were disappointed in the low turnout. Others were disgruntled that hundreds of people were standing in winding lines outside disaster relief centers instead of applying for hundreds of local jobs.
Only a handful of residents filed through the recreation center Thursday morning with employers reporting one to three hits at their respective booths within the first hour after the doors opened.
The few looking for work included George and Nicole Guzzardo of the Waveland and Bay Saint Louis, Miss., area who lost their home and both their jobs after Hurricane Katrina pummeled the Gulf Coast a month ago.
Parents of three small children, the Guzzardos are living in Independence and will remain in the area until the school year ends. Their children are enrolled at Mater Dolorosa Catholic School.
George, a former insurance agent who had just opened a new office before the storm in the hurricane ravaged area, and Nicole, a recruiter for Casino Magic, happened to drive past the recreation center on West Coleman Avenue when they noticed the job fair sign.
Accompanied by their 1-year-old daughter, the Guzzardos browsed through the booths stopping at those that interested them. Nicole seemed interested in the opportunities offered at Southeastern Louisiana University, while George talked with representatives from the Wal-Mart Distribution Center.
Wendy Sanders of Hammond was also looking for a job. Having previously worked as a certified nursing assistant in home care, the 42-year-old was looking for a position that involved working with people.
She had several applications in her hand and was going out to her car to fill them out before returning them to the respective employers.
At around 10:30 a.m., business representatives reported few to zero people visiting their booths.
Representatives from Kentucky Fried Chicken, who are offering part-time and full-time positions such as cooks, cashiers and buffet workers, said not one person had stopped by their booth that morning.
Needing at least 10 employees in Hammond and another five each for the other stores, the restaurant had to stop serving buffets and closed the drive throughs at least once at two locations, Office Manager Margaret Trombatore said. Existing employees were so exhausted on one occasion from the lack of help that the entire store closed early.
A few people visited the River Marine Management booth manned by tugboat captain Bradley Alfaro.
Based out of the the LaPlace area, the company, which transports barges, grain, coal, chemicals and other things, was offering seven deckhand positions with starting yearly salaries of $30,000 and benefits, Alfaro said. The work schedule includes seven days on and seven days off.
Amite Foundry & Machine, which lost nearly 10 employees after the hurricanes, was offering positions for welders, grinders, machinists and more.
The starting salaries for unskilled workers was $10, while skilled started at approximately $14, according to Human Resources Manager Lisa Bond.
Bond said eight employees left in September for various reasons such as accepting construction jobs or moving, while two others recently gave their notice.
Local Burger King representatives Dionisha Lee, restaurant manager for Amite, and Denise Schoen, district manager, said they have lost around 60 employees out of four locations in Ponchatoula, Amite, Bogalusa and Franklinton.
Every position is currently available from salary manager to crew member, they said. They had one person stop by their booth as of 10:30 a.m.
Crest Meat Company in Hammond needs six positions filled not because employees quit but because their business has doubled, according to owner Rosalie Tubre.
Because the company's main competitor was based out of New Orleans and nearly destroyed, Crest, a wholesale meat purveyor, is supplying meat throughout southeast Louisiana.
Positions available include a computer operator in accounting, an experienced meat cutter skilled in portion control, three meat wrappers and hamburger patty operators and a DSL driver.
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