City Government

Oakland’s Army Base Project Reports Over 50 Percent Local Hiring

Published

11 years ago

March 28, 2014

The city is celebrating recent reports that Oakland residents have been employed for over 50 percent of the total number of hours worked on the Army Base project since the development started in September – though the total number of people hired so far does not reach the amount of new jobs that were promised in the past.

Surpassing the city’s 50 percent local hire guidelines, city staff confirms that roughly 260 people have been hired on the project thus far, 108 of those jobs going to Oakland residents.

All local jobs were full-time employment, including operating engineers, laborers, field surveyors, and other landscape and construction trades.

However, the numbers of people the project will hire do not meet the expectations of residents who were led over the last few years to believe that new jobs would reach as high as 5,000 or more. In reality, the number of new jobs to be created has deflated as the project has gotten underway.

Job seekers looking for work on the Army Base have been waiting for the opportunity to get hired, most going to the West Oakland Job Resource Center for help. While most workers are hired from union hiring halls, six to 10 people were hired directly from the job center, says Susie Suafai, Program Manager at the West Oakland Job Resource Center.

Councilmembers, including Lynette McElhaney and Libby Schaaf, were elated at the hiring results at this week’s Community and Economic Development meeting.

“The numbers are very promising,” said McElhaney. “We shouldn’t let up on our expectations [for local jobs],” specifically when it comes to hiring more skilled labor.

In an interview with The Post, she added, “Jobs are one half, the other is local participation of contractors and subcontractors.”

“It’s one thing to take an unemployed person and give them the skills, but what about Turner Group Construction and the painters, people who own their business who should have the opportunity to participate in this [project]? We’re expecting 50/50 on all of it – contracting and employment,” McElhaney said.

For more information on jobs at the Army Base, contact the West Oakland Job Resource Center at (510) 419-0509.

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Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

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City Government

San Pablo Appoints New Economic Development and Housing Manager

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo. Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Kieron Slaughter. Photo courtesy of the City of San Pablo

The Richmond Standard

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo.

Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Before that he was an associate planner in the City of Richmond’s Planning and Building Services Department from 2007-2015.

San Pablo City Manager Matt Rodriguez lauded Slaughter’s extensive experience in economic development, housing and planning, saying he will add a “valuable perspective to the City Manager’s Office.”

Slaughter, a Berkeley resident, will start in his new role on Nov. 12, with a base annual salary of $164,928, according to the City of San Pablo.

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City Government

Aaron Osorio Rises Up Ranks to Become Richmond’s Fire Chief

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10. “I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.” Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Richmond Fire Department Chief Aaron Osorio. Courtesy photo

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10.

“I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.”

Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Osorio is a San Francisco native who rose up the ranks in the Richmond Fire Department over the last 21 years before being elevated to chief.

He joined the department in 2002 and has served in multiple roles including firefighters, engineer, captain, battalion chief, training director and deputy fire chief. He said he truly loves working in this community.

While it isn’t common for a fire department to hire a chief that came up through its ranks, Osorio was credited by the city for serving Richmond well during uncommon times.

The city lauded him for developing internal policies and vaccination clinics during the initial COVID response, for supporting activation of the emergency operations center in response to a potential mudslide disaster in Seacliff last year, helping to draft mutual aid agreements and working to increase fire response capabilities for industrial incidents.

He’s also led departmental hiring and recruitment since 2018.

Osorio said it is an honor to be hired as chief and has big plans for the department moving forward. He said he wants to continue hiring and promoting for vacant positions, and also completing a strategic plan guiding the direction of the organization.

He also aims to replace and renovate a number of fire department facilities placed on the Capital Improvement Plan and create new ways to recruit that will enhance the diversity of the department.

Osorio said his experience within, and love for, the city of Richmond puts him in a good position to lead the department. He says he knows what is needed and also the challenges that are unique to the city.

“I look forward to utilizing that institutional knowledge to move the fire department forward in a positive direction and enhance the services we provide to the community,” the chief said.

Osorio holds a bachelor of science degree in Fire Administration and is also a California State Fire Marshal-certified chief officer, company officer, and state instructor.

He also holds numerous certifications in fire, rescue, hazardous material, and incident command.

The chief has been married to his wife, Maria, for 26 years and they have two sons, Roman and Mateo.