Update 1/8: A tentative agreement has been reached between the two sides.
Park City, Utah — The Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Park City Mountain Resort is trying to reshape the narrative that has surrounded her ski resort in recent weeks.
Yesterday, Deirdra Walsh, the VP and COO of Park City Mountain Resort, submitted a letter to the Park Record, a local Park City newspaper. In the letter, she apologized for the experience on the mountain over the holiday break. Additionally, she also defended the actions of the ski resort, criticized harassment of employees by guests, and accused the union of being dishonest with the public regarding the strike.
Here are the major points that she raised:
- The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association Has Been Dishonest: A key disagreement between the two sides has been over wages. The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association (PCPSPA) has been asking for a $2/hour starting wage pay raise. Deirdra states that this is inaccurate and that the patrollers are seeking a $7/hour pay raise. We reached out to the PCPSPA, who stated that this accusation from Deirdra was not true, and they aren’t sure where she got this number from. She also alleges that the union walked out after just the first meeting with the federal mediator while the ski resort continued to engage. The PCPSPA also disputes this, as they said they did not walk out of any mediation sessions, and have been willing to chat with Vail Resorts at anytime.
- Employees Have Been Subject To Harassment From Guests: Walsh said that the presently working ski patrollers and other employees at the mountain have been subject to “relentless harassment online and in person.” The PCPSPA has shared a similar sentiment, publishing a post on social media last week that called for guests to treat PC employees with respect and dignity. They also told us that this harassment, which they do not condone, will probably stop once the strike is over.
We reached out to the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association for comment. They didn’t appreciate Deirdra not referencing them by name in the letter. Quinn Graves, the Business Manager of the PCPSPA, issued the following statement to Unofficial Networks:
“We agree with her that the holiday experience was not what anyone wanted. But she’s saying that this is because of our choice to go on strike. We feel like our hand has been forced here. We’ve been in negotiations for we’re going on ten months now, and unfortunately the company hasn’t met us anywhere within what we feel is a reasonable goal for what our unit is asking for and what we want. Because of their inability to bargain in good faith, that’s what forced an unfair labor practice strike. The only reason we’re on an unfair labor practice strike is because the company continues to commit unfair labor practices and we have to submit those charges with the National Labor Relations Board. So if they weren’t committing all these unfair labor practices, which we’re up to six now, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”
However, I personally think this is a step in the right direction, and I appreciate Deirdra trying to be transparent. Once again, though, I am frustrated that we haven’t heard from the executive leadership team for Vail Resorts. It seems like a situation where the Head Coach gets all the blame and heckling when the actual issues go deeper.
The PCPSPA and Park City Mountain Resort met for mediation yesterday and will have mediation again today.
You can read Walsh’s full editorial in the Park Record here.
Image Credits: Park City Mountain Resort
