Skiers in Park City, Utah. (Photo by The Palmer/Getty Images)
The Park City Ski Patrol union went on strike Friday, the latest in months of negotiations between Vail Resorts and the mountain’s first responders, who are seeking higher wages and better benefits.
In a statement posted to social media, the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association, or PCPSPA, announced its nearly 200 members “hung up their jackets and walked out of the locker room and formed a picket line.”
“We did everything in our power to avoid this work stoppage. Our goal has been and continues to be to secure a fair contract,” the union said in a statement.
The holiday-season strike comes during what is typically the busiest time of the year for ski resorts. Deirdra Walsh, vice president and chief operating officer of Park City Mountain, said the resort’s ski patrol leadership and replacement patrollers from other mountains will keep the resort open, with no planned closures to terrain.
“We remain committed to reaching an agreement,” she said in a statement.
Since the union’s contract expired in April, the PCPSPA and the resort have been in talks with Park City’s parent company, Vail Resorts, in an attempt to secure higher wages. According to a GoFundMe that has raised nearly $32,000 for the union as of Friday, patrollers were bargaining for a $23 per hour base rate, better benefits and educational opportunities and a wage structure “that properly rewards skilled and experienced patrollers and addresses wage compression.”
Since negotiations started, the resort and the union reached agreements on 24 of the 27 current contract terms, Walsh said.
But on Dec. 13, the union unanimously voted to authorize a strike. And on Friday, the union accused the resort conglomerate of “bad faith tactics” after a seven hour negotiation session the day before. Vail refused to give a counteroffer and flew in replacement patrollers, the union said.
“They have had two weeks to prepare a counter proposal … Additionally, the company continues to impose their anti-worker strategy by flying in scabs rather than coming to the table with a reasonable offer,” the PCPSPA said.
“We are deeply disappointed the patrol union has walked away from mediation and chosen drastic action that attempts to disrupt mountain operations in the middle of the holiday season, given we invested significantly in patrol,” Walsh said on Friday. “In addition to the over 50% increase in wages over the past four seasons, the current Park City Mountain patrol proposal increases wages another 4% for the majority of patrollers and provides $1,600 per patroller for equipment.”
The union said it has filed “multiple” unfair labor charges against Vail Resorts during negotiations. In its statement Friday, it called for a boycott of the company.
“Do not purchase day tickets or food from Vail owned dining. Do not use Vail-owned rental shops or retail stores. Do not stay in Vail-owned hotels. Instead, buy and support local businesses!” PCPSPA said.
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