Group that lured job seekers to Raiders meeting with misleading flyer returns with new advertisement

By Adam Candee

Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017 | 2 a.m.

The community group that attracted people seeking employment to a recent Raiders stadium planning meeting with a misleading flyer promising jobs produced a similar advertisement for a Saturday event at Cashman Theater.

The new flyer put out on Facebook by Get Active Foundation and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists still screams “JOBS!!! JOBS!!! JOBS!!!” across the top, but adds a fine-print disclaimer that “This is not a job fair or hiring event.”

This flyer advertises 25,000 upcoming construction jobs and details training assistance areas but removes previous direct references to the Raiders stadium and Strip development projects. It also now reads “All ethnic groups welcome,” a change from the first flyer that read “Looking for 5,000 black men and women who want to go to work.”

Clark County Commissioner and gubernatorial candidate Steve Sisolak said Wednesday he had not heard previously about the new flyer.

“I think it’s unfortunate that certain groups are misleading people about the availability of jobs,” Sisolak said. “Folks are preying on people’s needs. It’s very unfortunate.”

Sisolak said that when jobs actually are available in the future, hiring fairs and other opportunities will be advertised by stadium contractors, subcontractors or labor unions. State Senator Aaron Ford, the legislative point man on the community benefits agreement in Senate Bill 1, emphasized that those details remain under consideration.

“As was agreed to and made law with the passage of SB1, all community groups, from veterans to African-Americans to Hispanics among others, will have access to a variety of jobs in the construction and operation of the stadium," Ford said. "The details of that agreement are presently being negotiated. When we are in fact ready to host a job fair, rest assured that it will be very well publicized, and access to this job fair will be free of charge. We look forward to announcing those details together when we are ready to begin the hiring process.”

In response to a request for additional information, Get Active Foundation representative Woodrow Wiley sent a media release to the Sun. In it, Black Jobs Movement spokesperson Freda Jackson disputes the idea that the first flyer deceived job seekers from the targeted 89106 and 89030 ZIP codes in west Las Vegas and North Las Vegas. The headline of the release refers to the Saturday event as intending to “silence unwarranted criticism in the process.”

“With (stadium) ground breaking scheduled for November, we must have our people ready and in place,” Jackson said in the release. “With Nevada State Parole and Probation having several thousand cases of ex-offenders on the books alone, we should have no problem reaching our recruitment goal of 5,000 to prepare for work.”

Hundreds of people showed up July 13 at a Las Vegas Stadium Authority board meeting at the Clark County Government Center expecting available jobs because of the first flyer, only to find out there would be no on-site hiring. Local unions including Laborers Local 872 stepped in to assist by offering information about apprenticeships and training through their organizations.

Community activist Stanley Washington took credit for the initial flyer and defended it, saying he was only collecting interest for future job opportunities. Jackson’s release promotes Saturday’s event as the next step in that process. The Saturday meeting requires a $2 per person entry fee and $5 parking fee, and organizers hope to attract 3,800 people.