Park City, Utah — Last night, The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association (PCPSPA) had its 21st round of negotiations with Vail Resorts. It didn’t go well. The PCPSPA said that Vail Resorts is still not reaching their demands, which include “raising the starting wage from $21 to $23 per hour, improving benefits and educational opportunities, and maintaining wage parity with non-unionized Vail Resorts employees.”
We reached out to Vail Resorts for comment. We haven’t received an official statement from them yet, but will update this post if they respond. Deirdra Walsh, who’s the VP and COO of Park City Mountain Resort, previously issued the following statement on November 23rd to the Park Record regarding negotiations with PCPSPA:
“We are proud of our company’s continued investments in ski patrol pay and benefits that recognize their specialized skills and the needs of individual resorts. Over the past three years, the average wage for ski patrollers across the company, including at Park City Mountain, has increased substantially — far outpacing the rate of wage inflation — resulting in very competitive wages.”
For more information about the latest negotiations, check out the press release by The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association below.
Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association Calls for Fair Contract Amid Negotiations with Vail Resorts
PARK CITY, UT — December 5, 2024 — The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association (PCPSPA) is, once again, disappointed with the latest counter offer presented during ongoing contract negotiations with Vail Resorts. Last night marked the 21st bargaining meeting between PCPSPA and Vail Resorts since May. This counteroffer includes no improvement to benefits and less than 0.5% wage increase across the unit. Most patrollers would see no difference in their wages and those affected would only see a minimal wage increase.
PCPSPA has proposed a contract aimed at decompressing pay scales for tenured patrollers with invaluable knowledge and skills, raising the starting wage from $21 to $23 per hour, improving benefits and educational opportunities, and maintaining wage parity with non-unionized Vail Resorts employees. The union emphasizes that these goals are very reasonable and reflect the value of ski patrollers’ work and address the high cost of living in and around Park City. This wage structure was proposed with the goal of a more efficient and productive round of negotiations, yet the company has shown they are not willing to meet the unit with a reasonable counteroffer.
Seth Dromgoole, who is in his 17th year patrolling at Park City Mountain and PCPSPA Lead Negotiator said “We are bargaining for a contract that allows our members to return year after year and improve the services this patrol provides to our guests – this is good for both our coworkers and the Company. Our wage and benefit proposal is rooted in economic data and market comparisons of other ski patrols. Vail’s refusal to come to the table and make meaningful work towards an agreement is taking a toll on our membership.”
PCPSPA stresses that its negotiators are patrollers elected by the union’s membership who dedicate their personal unpaid time to fight for a fair contract. At this point, ski patrollers and mountain safety employees have been working without a contract since preseason training started in early October.
“We want to secure a contract that reflects the value that patrollers and mountain safety bring to this mountain. Every unreasonable counter offer makes it increasingly difficult to continue working without a contract and draws out a process we wanted to have completed before we started working this season,” said Kate Lips, PCPSPA President and seventh year patroller at Park City Mountain.
This Saturday, December 7th, PCPSPA will hold another public picket at the intersection of Canyons Village Road and SR224 and the intersection of Park Avenue and Deer Valley Drive in Park City, UT from 9 am to 1 pm. They request the community join the demonstration to show their support for Park City Ski Patrol. Media outlets are also encouraged to join. PCPSPA will continue to advocate for its members and keep the community updated as negotiations continue.. For those who are unable to make the picket, they can sign the petition below to show Vail Resorts that PCPSPA deserves a fair contract.
Sign up to join the picket here
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The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association is part of CWA Local 7781, The United Professional Ski Patrols of America. Through Local 7781, The Communications Workers of America represent Ski Patrollers at Park City, Utah; Solitude, Utah; Crested Butte, Colorado; Steamboat, Colorado; Telluride, Colorado; Keystone, Colorado; Whitefish, Montana; Stevens Pass, Washington; and Lift Maintenance departments at Park City, Utah and Crested Butte, Colorado. The CWA is committed to improving the working conditions of Ski Patrollers and other mountain workers – who statistically have one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States and Canada – and within the ski industry in general.
Image Credits: Park City Profesional Ski Patrol Association
