Olympics chaos will have biggest impact on union’s members in downtown Vancouver

UFCW 1518 Union representatives have been attending VANOC (Vancouver Organizing Committee for the Olympics) meetings with other trade unions for nearly a year now to discuss the impact the upcoming Winter Olympics will have on workers.

The biggest impact, of course, will be on Local 1518 members and other workers whose jobs are in downtown Vancouver. Next on the list will be anyone driving or taking transit during the Olympics – which basically includes the rest of the population in the Lower Mainland!

At a meeting with VANOC officials earlier this week, it was recommended by VANOC that people who work downtown take public transit, and know the times and locations of events in proximity to their workplaces, in order to avoid delays in getting to and from work.

It is strongly recommended that unless members have designated parking downtown, take public transit. Extra buses, Seabuses, Skytrain, and Westcoast Express runs have been added - in most cases by 30-40%, and these transit systems will also have longer operating hours.

Delays in transit are expected to be widespread, with some media outlets estimating extra one-two hour waits for buses and trains.

VANOC officials also pointed out that that most events in the Vancouver and Richmond are likely to begin later in the day, so if you must travel, try to do so early in the day.

Here are some recommended websites for our members to check in regards to travel, and these sites will also advise of road closures:

www.Travelsmart2010.ca

www.vancouver.ca

www.translink.ca

www.bctransit.com