Jaime Obleski, 22, and other ski patrollers from Park City Mountain picket near the base of the resort in Park City while their union strikes on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
Ski area conglomerate Vail Resorts said it has resumed negotiations with the ski patrol union after about 200 patrollers went on strike last week.
On Friday, the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association, or PCPSPA, said its members were going on strike after it failed to reach an agreement with Vail Resorts, which owns Park City Mountain, to secure higher base wages, a better pay scale and improved benefits.
Since then, Vail has brought in replacement patrollers from other ski resorts to help open Park City Mountain, the largest ski resort in the U.S., during what is typically the busiest time of the year.
“Despite the union’s action, Park City Mountain is open for our guests, our thousands of employees who are still working, and for the community. Safety is our top priority, and we have a talented group of patrollers on the mountain from Park City and our other mountain resorts,” a resort spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.
Monday was a tumultuous day for Park City Mountain, with significant delays across the resort and seven lifts closed for the day. Several lifts had delayed openings on Tuesday, as well.
“I really hope that shows the company that they should come to the table and make some movement,” said Quinn Graves, a union spokesperson and fourth-year patroller. “I really hope we see some positive movement, because all of us would much rather be at work than standing on a street corner on strike.”
Graves spoke on Tuesday from the sidewalk of Park Ave in Park City, where dozens of patrollers picketed to the tune of passing cars honking in support.
Vail says it reached agreements on 24 of the union’s 27 articles but failed to find common ground on the three remaining economic conditions. The union is asking for a $2 per hour increase to base wages for new patrollers, moving the starting pay from $21 per hour to $23 per hour.
The union is also advocating for improved seasonal benefits, including paid parental leave, holiday pay and better paid time off options.
They also say the wage scale should be improved — in some cases, long-time patrollers are making the same, or less, than patrollers in their third or fourth year. That includes Andrew Hennigh, an avalanche forecaster, who is going on his 16th year working for Park City ski patrol.
“Wages are not keeping up with the times,” he said. “If we can keep up with inflation, then we can do alright. Every couple of years, we get a bump in our pay then it just sits there for years and years. Meanwhile, the world changes around us.”
Vail says patrol wages have increased by more than 50% in the last four years, which outpaces inflation.
“The average wage for a seasonal patroller at Park City Mountain is now over $25/hour and the average entry level wage is $22.40/hour. Experienced patrollers with specialized skills at the resort make 35% more on average than entry level. Across our 37 North American resorts, we had nearly 3,000 applicants for just 300 open patrol roles this season, demonstrating the strong talent we are attracting with our wages and benefits,” the Vail spokesperson said.
The union and Vail Resorts had been in negotiations since May. In the fall, the company presented a counter offer that union members said was inadequate. Since then, the union has accused Vail Resorts of failing to provide information relevant to the bargaining process, while engaging in intimidation and retaliatory tactics.
That includes threatening to revoke certain benefits if the strike continues, said Graves.
As a result, the union has filed several complaints with the National Labor Relations Board.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.