Happy 2010! VANOC staff gets 1.5% pay hike

The first Olympic event of the winter of 2010 in Vancouver was... ta-da!

The Pay Raise.

On Jan. 4, VANOC employees got a good news email from the head of human resources. Effective Jan. 1, their pay was increased by 1.5%. That's half-a-percent less than a year earlier, but who's going to complain? After all, it's not like the economy is booming anymore.

It's yet another spending initiative handled by the VANOC board that was not communicated to reporters after the last closed-door board meeting of 2009 on Nov. 18. On May 20, the VANOC board also voted to spend $8.3 million of taxpayers' money on B.C. Place Stadium capital works for the opening ceremony. That was kept hush-hush until the June 16 release of a quarterly financial report. Even then, VANOC executives refused to give details. I finally solved that riddle on Jan. 4 after receiving an April 14, 2009 report about what the ceremonies producer needed to make a world-class show.

What other secrets lurk within VANOC?

Read the memo below, send your comments to bob.mackin@sunmedia.ca or post them below.


From: Donna Wilson
Sent: January 4, 2010 12:31 PM
To: Vancouver2010
Subject: 2010 Salary Increase

Welcome to 2010! I hope that all of you were able to find some time to rest and refresh over the holidays. It's hard to believe that we're in the final stretch, and in less than 3 months we will be celebrating the successful delivery of the Games. All of your effort, drive and commitment to excellence is appreciated.

As many of you know, the current economic times have challenged our creative thinking as an OCOG. Notwithstanding the times we're in, at the end of 2009, the VANOC Board of Directors approved a 1.5% salary increase for all VANOC employees for the final months of this project, starting January 1, 2010.

Thank you for all your hard work and commitment to staging Canadaʼs Games. As said in our own words...

"Vancouver 2010 creates a climate of possibility that helps us to discover the greatness inside ourselves... It awakens us to the idea that we are all giants inside."

Cherish these last few precious moments. Be big, be bold.

Happy New Year,

Donna

Donna Wilson
Executive Vice President / Vice-Présidente de Direction
Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Comité d'organization des Jeux olympiques et paralympiques d'hiver de 2010 á Vancouver
400 - 3585 rue Graveley Street Vancouver, B.C. (C.-B.) V5K 5J5
Phone / Téléphone: (604)403-XXXX Fax / Télécopieur: (778) 328-2079 Email / Courriel: donna_wilson@vancouver2010.com Website / Site Web: www.vancouver2010.com

Timeline: VANOC's often-horrible 2009 in review

VANOC CEO John Furlong is probably the most satisfied person inside Vancouver 2010 to see 2009 disappear. It was a year of economic upheaval and the tragic cancer death of founding chairman Jack Poole. It also saw the start of the Olympic torch relay.

Feb. 12: One-year countdown. Torch unveiled in Whistler. Private ceremony in Richmond Olympic Oval featuring International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge.

Feb. 19: Olympic security budget increased to $900 million from $175 million.

March 26: IOC's only executive board meeting of 2009 in North America, but VANOC CEO John Furlong delivers update by teleconference instead of traveling to Denver. CFO John McLaughlin asks B.C. government for bailout in letter.

April 4: Vancouver Convention Centre opens. To be VANOC’s international broadcast centre.

July 30: VANOC makes a plea for companies and governments to donate free labour.

Aug. 17: Canada Line opens two months early. Sea-to-Sky Highway almost done.

Aug. 26: Last IOC coordination commission visit finishes with pledge of up to $22 million for VANOC to help balance books after failing to fill two empty global sponsor slots.

Oct. 22: Olympic flame lighting ceremony in Ancient Olympia, Greece.

Oct. 23: Founding chairman Jack Poole dies of after battle with cancer.

Oct. 30: Olympic torch relay begins in Victoria.

Nov. 4: Ceremonial handover of Vancouver Olympic Village from city to VANOC.

Nov. 7: Third phase of Canadian ticket sales postponed. Tickets.com fails to program virtual waiting room. Sales resume Nov. 14.

Dec. 3: City council amends controversial Olympic bylaws after businesses and civil libertarians complain.

Dec. 21: VANOC makes about-face on ticket scalping and opens ticket auction and trading website.

Dec. 22: Supreme Court of Canada refuses to hear appeal of B.C. court rulings against adding women's ski jumping to 2010 Games.