Thursday, September 15, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
Hotel-casinos link up with jobs Web site
Tourism industry to launch free online job search site for hurricane evacuees
By ELIZABETH PIET
STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON -- Some Las Vegas hotel-casinos have joined a nationwide online effort to recruit displaced Hurricane Katrina victims, tourism industry officials said Wednesday.
The Travel Industry Association of America announced a free job search Web site for evacuees looking for work.
The site was scheduled to launch today and advertise at least 1,000 travel and tourism jobs at www.katrinajobs.org.
Roger Dow, association president and chief executive officer, said Harrah's Las Vegas and The Venetian have agreed to post job openings.
"No one wants to live long-term in temporary housing," Dow said. "What they really want to do is get on with their lives and support their families."
The affected areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama have accounted for $18.3 billion in annual travel and tourism-related business, as well as providing 260,000 industry jobs, Dow said. Travel and tourism has been New Orleans' largest private employer. Dow said Las Vegas would be a significant destination for job-seekers.
About 400 jobs at The Venetian will be posted on the Web site, resort spokesman Ron Reese said. The positions previously were available and are open to local residents.
Harrah's, which lost Grand Casino properties in Biloxi and Gulfport, Miss., has been helping Gulf Coast employees find work at other company sites and is paying their salary for eight weeks.
MGM Mirage executives are paying salary and benefits through Dec. 6 to its 3,400 employees at Beau Rivage, the largest casino in Biloxi. There is also a $1 million recovery fund in which the company will match additional donations from MGM Mirage employees. The company's goal is to rehire its workers when the casino reopens.
More than 1,700 hurricane evacuees have gone to the Fertitta Community Assistance Center to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and receive assistance, Clark County spokeswoman Stacey Welling said.
Station Casinos hired 35 of 42 interested evacuees after a company-sponsored job fair Tuesday, spokeswoman Lori Nelson said. The company is holding another fair today at Texas Station.
Station Casinos also is considering posting jobs on the travel industry online site, Nelson said.
Station Casinos has 500 open positions among its 13 properties in Southern Nevada, Nelson said. Applicants go through a simplified process without paperwork or needing business clothing for interviews, she said.
"We don't feel people are looking for handouts, they're looking for opportunities," Nelson said.
Evacuees at the community center also have access to jobs through Nevada JobConnect and the Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada.
