

NEWARK — About 400 people, many from Newark, lost out on part-time jobs cleaning up storm damage this week when an Idaho-based employment agency pulled out of the project because of fears of violence.

Guaranteed jobs that started Tuesday and would have been available for several months were canceled by Command Center Inc., the temporary employment agency contracted to do the clean up, several of the people now out of work said.

The company acted after more than 10 incidents occurred that were considered threats to the safety of its clients and staff, said David Kehoe, company vice-president.

On the first day of hiring last week nearly 1,000 people showed up looking for jobs, said Michael Bright, president of the YMCA on Broad Street in Newark.

The YMCA allowed Command Center to use the sidewalk outside of their building as a base of operations and put out word of the job opportunity. Days later Kehoe told Bright the jobs would be canceled, because of the "aggressive" actions of some people looking for jobs.

"A handful of people messed up an opportunity for a lot of Newarkers." Bright said.

The workers were paid $9 an hour to help with storm cleanup, Kehoe said. The jobs were in areas within a 30-mile radius of Newark’s Military Park, where the workers had gathered each morning and were transported to the sites, he said.

Kehoe did not describe the threatening incidents, but said no one had been injured.

"The responsible thing (to do) is to end it," Kehoe said.

Sharonda Davis, 36, a single mother from Vailsburg, was angry at the decision and at the people who caused the company to leave.

"I was going to grow from this," she said. "Now I’ve got to try another strategy."

Star-Ledger staff writer David Giambusso contributed to this report.