The membership of the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association (PCPSPA) voted yes on approving a new contract with Vail Resorts on January 14th, avoiding a strike and reaching the goals they set out to achieve. The new contract gives the ski patrollers a $19/hr average wage and tenure recognition. The contract also gives the group wage parity with Colorado Residents, meaning that a rise in the state’s minimum wage will bump the wage of patrollers at Park City, despite being in Utah.
It took 50 rounds of negotiations for the PCPSPA and Vail Resorts to reach an agreement, which was originally reported on January 13th, but the union needed approval through a membership vote before confirming the new contract and releasing details. It’s no shock that Vail Resorts managed to reach an agreement, as the PCPSPA approved a strike authorization on January 10th.
Vail Resorts has seen a lot of backlash for their actions in the past few months, including a drop in worth on Wall Street. I’m sure the company is hoping this agreement will boost their customer satisfaction, though their treatment of other mountains might have to change before that will occur… That being said, this new deal is a massive win for ski patrollers, and hopefully we’ll see fair pay and treatment for the hard workers all across the country in the coming months/years.
Image Credits: Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association