(StraightShooterNews.com) – While visitor frustrations peak as long lift lines and restricted skiing mar the holiday experience, the largest and iconic ski resort in the United States is grappling with chaos as ski patrollers at Park City Mountain Resort strike for fair wages.
The recent strike by ski patrollers at Park City Mountain Resort in late December marks a historic first.
The Park City Professional Ski Patrollers Association, representing over 200 members, is demanding a $2 hourly wage increase.
The strike has become part of a larger trend of rapid unionization among resort workers.
As Vail Resorts attempts to maintain operations using non-union managers, the impact on the resort continues to grow.
The strike’s impact has been widespread. On a typical day, over 100 patrollers cover 7,300 skiable acres at Park City, but now only 30 to 35 remain on duty.
The lack of personnel and their crucial services has led to longer lift lines and delayed response times for injured skiers.
Moreover, skiers and snowboarders have voiced their discontent on social media platforms, exposing the diminished guest experience Vail Resorts struggles to manage.
Keystone ski patrollers echo these sentiments, having filed similar complaints against Vail Resorts for unfair labor practices.
They push for a starting wage of $23 an hour. Solidarity demonstrations have occurred in support of Park City patrollers, showcasing the growing discontent with the skiing giant’s negotiation tactics.
Park City ski patrollers argue a $23 wage simply matches inflation using the Consumer Price Index.
“We took the $21 number from 2022 and plugged into the government’s Consumer Price Index and that’s how we got $23. So basically we are asking to match inflation,” six-year patroller who represents Keystone’s ski patrol union, Jake Randall stated.
Vail Resorts has proposed a modest 4% wage increase and offered $1,600 to assist with equipment costs.
However, negotiations remain unresolved, with key issues such as parking and uniforms left to negotiate. The patrollers hold firm, emphasizing Vail’s ongoing bad-faith negotiations and coercive tactics, prompting multiple unfair labor practice complaints.
Furthermore, guest experiences continue to suffer amid a landscape of muted slopes and long lines.
The influx of over two feet of snow has further complicated the situation, stirring local skier frustration.
The unity among ski patrollers is strong, and community support bolsters their stance. Over $200,000 has been raised on GoFundMe to aid striking patrollers, reflecting the deep community connection to their cause.
The ultimate resolution of Park City’s negotiations is poised to ripple across Vail Resorts’ other properties, affecting future disputes at Breckenridge, Keystone, and Crested Butte Mountain.
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