Park City, Utah — The beef between Park City ski patrollers and Vail Resorts continues.
Yesterday, the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association (PCPSPA) filed for arbitration against Vail Resorts.
The move was due to an alleged violation of the parity clause in their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which was originally agreed to in January 2025. They allege that Vail Resorts is offering Recovery Time Off (RTO) to non-unionized ski patrollers in Colorado. If they received this benefit, they could use the time for mental health, a vacation, or physical rehabilitation. Reportedly, the two recently negotiated to see if this could be added, but they couldn’t reach an agreement. The Crested Butte (CBSPA) and Keystone (KSPU) ski patrol unions also reportedly joined the arbitration case, alleging the same thing.
A spokesperson for Vail Resorts told the Salt Lake Tribune that they had talks with the union. They aimed to negotiate a new contract with an amendment for the RTO, but the union allegedly declined.
Arbitration is a process in which a party files a legal claim alleging a breach of contract. A third party reviews both sides and then issues its own ruling. The move is meant to be speedier than going through the court system.
Part of the CWA Local 7781, the United Mountain Workers of America, the PCPSPA made international headlines for the Park City ski patrollers’ strike against Vail Resorts over a two-week span during the 2024-25 season. The two sides reached a deal in January 2025, ending the strike. CWA Local 7781 represents other ski resort unions at mountains such as Arapahoe Basin and Big Sky.
We’ll likely have to wait a while to find out how this goes, as the hearing date is scheduled for September.
Image/Video Credits: Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association, PeakRankings, Park City Mountain Resort
