Bob Mackin
Leaders of City of Vancouver’s three unions say 400 jobs will be axed under Mayor Ken Sim’s draft budget.
Two thirds of the job cuts are anticipated to be from the unionized ranks, said a late afternoon memo to union members on Nov. 5 from acting CUPE Local 15 president Santino Scardillo, CUPE Local 1040 administrator Rob Limongelli and CUPE Local 391 president Amir Abbey.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim at the June 11 one-year countdown to FIFA 26. (Mackin)
“At this stage, we don’t know exactly what these potential job cuts would look like or how they might be implemented,” said the memo. “It is not clear whether the positions would be eliminated or reduced through attrition (leaving vacancies unfilled as people move on or retire).
City of Vancouver employs 11,000 people or 9,600 full-time equivalents.
Timeline
City council has scheduled a Nov. 12 public hearing on the budget and expects to pass the $2.39 billion operating plan two weeks later on Nov. 26.
“This proposed budget would not only have a serious impact on workers, but it will also likely have far reaching consequences for public services throughout Vancouver’s communities and neighbourhoods,” said the CUPE memo.
What does zero really mean?
Sim is running for re-election on a “zero means zero” property tax increase. But Vancouverites will be dinged 4.2% more for utilities, 2-5% more for recreation user fees and 4.5% more for business licences and permits.
Police ($525.3 million) and fire ($215 million) are getting increases under the ABC budget.
In an Oct. 16 all-staff meeting, city manager Donny van Dyk and deputy city manager Karen Levitt said FIFA World Cup 26 and the civic election are other programs protected from budget cuts.
“So we have no wiggle room in terms of delivering what we need to deliver. It’s a contractual obligation [to FIFA],” Levitt said.
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