| Salt Lake City |
 |
 |
| GER |
12 |
16 |
7 |
35 |
 |
| USA |
10 |
13 |
11 |
34 |
|
| NOR |
11 |
7 |
6 |
24 |
|
| CAN |
6 |
3 |
8 |
17 |
|
| RUS |
6 |
6 |
4 |
16 |
|
| AUT |
2 |
4 |
10 |
16 |
|
| ITA |
4 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
|
| FRA |
4 |
5 |
2 |
11 |
|
| SUI |
3 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
|
| NED |
3 |
5 |
0 |
8 |
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Job exodus at SLOC soon to pick up steam
By Brady Snyder and Jeff Oliver
Deseret News staff writers
The ax has started falling at the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.
Last week, close to 20 percent of SLOC's full-time paid staff lost their jobs.
After the Paralympics end March 16, another 275 will be let go.
When all is said and done, 1,000 full-time SLOC employees will be searching for new jobs, including SLOC President and CEO Mitt Romney — not that his SLOC job has supported him financially anyway.
Romney has yet to collect any salary for his last three years of work on the Games. Back in February 1999 when he was made head of SLOC, he said he would accept a salary of $280,000 a year, what the previous SLOC president/CEO was making, only if the Games at least broke even.
Now that it appears SLOC will at least break even, Romney has said he will give to charity whatever he is paid.
Romney's future has been rumored to be in politics. For other SLOC workers, things are less certain.
"Everyone's keeping their options open," said Janice Young, former traffic dispatcher for SLOC.
On Wednesday, Young and other SLOC workers gathered at the committee's downtown headquarters where they received a watch and participation medal, and also faced the reality that they now have to look for new jobs.
"These folks have known for a long time," Ed Eynon said. "When you signed, you were given your date."
Eynon is head of SLOC's human resources. He will, himself, be out of his SLOC job as of May 1.
Kevin Young, Janice Young's son, said he originally planned on finding a job long before Feb. 24, his last day as information systems manager at The Peaks Ice Arena, a job he's held since November 2000.
However, the thrill of being involved in the Games sidetracked his job hunt. "It was just something I had to see through," he said.
He's now relying on SLOC's job transition program to locate other employment in Utah.
The program consists of SLOC agents who find jobs for former employees via the vast network of business partners that helped SLOC with the Games.
Kevin Young says his severance package was good enough to allow for some "R and R" time.
Most of the earliest out worked in accreditation, maintenance, sports, scheduling or planning.
By using placement companies like Monster.com and Drake, Beam and Morin, SLOC has located jobs for 30 percent of the fired.
As people have trickled out of SLOC headquarters, the mood has been reserved — a post-Olympic hangover of sorts, Eynon said.
"People are tired," Eynon said. "They were close to exhaustion. There were a lot of colds and a lot of hoarse voices."
Fraser Bullock, SLOC's chief operating officer, had a 102-degree temperature the day of closing ceremonies and Romney's voice gave out during the Games, Eynon said.
"It's just a lack of sleep," Eynon said, "and a lot of tension."
E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com; joliver@desnews.com
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March 3, 2002
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