The Solitude Ski Patrol Union is happy announce they have secured a new contract after 8 months of collective negotiations. The SSPU was organized back in April 2024 and represents 8 bargaining members and 35 ski patrollers.
The new contract includes a starting wage of $24 per hour, $1,300 for full-time patrollers equipment per season and $100 per month for healthcare. The SSPU is the first ski patrol union to operate under ownership by Alterra. Read the full statement from SSPU below.
Solitude Ski Patrol Union Statement:
SSPU is pleased to announce that our contract with the resort was ratified this week, with 100% UNANIMOUS “yes” votes from our bargaining unit! We could not be more proud of the work we have achieved here, from getting our patrol empowered enough to stand up and unionize, to getting an incredibly strong contract not only written, but done so in a timely manner, with 100% approval from our voting members.
Solitude Ski Patrol Union was the first Ski Patrol to unionize under Alterra ownership, and we have proven that a group of 8 run-of-the-mill ski patrollers, acting as representatives of a small but mighty mountain’s patrol of a few dozen people, can not only face a multinational conglomerate— but when we do, we can win.
Unions work. Chat with us to learn more. Thank you to everyone who supports United Mountain Workers, the community of BCC and SLC, and all who stand up for their labor rights. Ski patrol is dangerous, skilled labor, and today we feel proud to be represented by a contract that supports this.
Solitude Ski Patrol Union Mission Statement:
The mission of the Solitude Ski Patrol Union is to facilitate the development of our members so they can provide excellent emergency medicine, avalanche mitigation, technical rescue, and guest services. We strive to create a safer environment and higher quality experience for all at Solitude Mountain Resort.
Solitude Mountain Resort boasts 1,200 acres of steep, avalanche-prone terrain that regularly sees over 6,000 skiers in a day. For Solitude Ski Patrollers, this means being trained in emergency medicine, avalanche mitigation, and technical rescue. Becoming skilled in these roles requires multiple seasons of patrolling, as well as obtaining outside education and experience. Ski patrolling is a dangerous job, with a high injury rate, due to its physical nature while operating in a hazardous environment, often in inclement weather. In addition to the immediate dangers of avalanches and exposed terrain, long term we face chronic injury and exposure to toxic explosives. In order to continue to perform at the highest level, we are asking to be fairly compensated, adequately trained, and equipped with the necessary resources in a way that reflects our dedication, hard work, and personal risks we take to keep the mountain operating. The Solitude Ski Patrol Union is the next step to ensure our collective voice is heard.
Solitude Ski Patrol strives to provide its guests with the best emergency medical care, access to steep technical terrain, and a family-friendly environment in which to enjoy the Wasatch Mountains. The purchase of Solitude by Alterra Mountain Company has presented new challenges. When our mountain became part of the Ikon Pass, skier traffic increased as did the number of guest injuries, and demand for terrain openings intensified. However, our management has been unresponsive to our needs and our staff turnover has remained high, in large part due to a lack of adequate resources and sustainable compensation. Low retention fundamentally affects our ability to patrol the mountain safely. Organizing will give us the ability to collaborate with our parent company and allow us to create a workplace worth returning to year after year. Building and retaining experienced, professional patrollers will provide our guests with consistent, high-quality medical care, as well as efficient and safe avalanche mitigation work. This will allow us to open terrain quicker and maintain the safe, exciting mountain our community loves.
We at the Solitude Ski Patrol Union understand that Solitude & Alterra are businesses and we are part of a team that works hard towards the success of the resort. We believe that for Solitude to succeed, we need to have the resources for our jobs and be able to voice our concerns. The best way to achieve this is through membership with the United Mountain Workers Local 7781. As the ski industry continues to change, so must we. This is why we are building solidarity with our fellow patrollers and forming the Solitude Ski Patrol Union. We look forward to working in partnership with Solitude and Alterra to create a more sustainable work environment that benefits all parties for years to come.
