Vancouver strike may affect 2010 Olympics

Posted on July 24, 2007
Filed Under Government |

Vancouver’s civic strike of 1,800 outside workers escalated Monday. At about 8 a.m., 2,500 inside workers (CUPE 15 members) took to the picket lines across 124 city sites. Later in the day, almost 800 librarians also poised to walk off the job.

The strike revokes the ability to run city fitness centers, pools, rinks, day camps, golf courses, and as well as new permit applications and building inspection applications. Uncollected garbage remains on the streets since Friday morning, when Vancouver’s outside workers’ union, CUPE 1004 (including garbage collectors), began full strike action. If librarians walk off the job, it will be their first strike in history.

Union leaders are refusing to cooperate with City of Vancouver negotiators on a 39-month contract, that would run out March 10, 2010, nine days after the games conclude. If a different length term be offered, as union leaders request, the city faces the danger of being shut down while two billion people from around the world are watching. Definately not a small issue at hand. Perhaps the federal government needs to focus a tiny bit of attention to the issue as well, considering this poses a threat not only to Vancouver the city, but the entire country.

Other strikes, currently near or already underway (apparently its “Strike Season”): Alberta’s oilsand workers, B.C.’s coastal workers, and Canadian Auto Workers.

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