Industry News
Keystone Resort, Colorado, and the Keystone Ski Patrol Union (KSP) are pleased to announce that they have reached a new tentative agreement through May 31, 2027. The Union’s bargaining committee is unanimously endorsing ratification by its unit with a vote scheduled to conclude by 7:00 p.m. on February 22. Together, the resort and union are looking forward to a great rest of the season.
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Negotiations began in September 2024 but moved slowly, with the union waiting for Vail Resorts to respond to the majority of its proposed terms. The patrol is advocating for starting wages of $23 per hour, aligning with the agreement reached by Park City Ski Patrol following a weeks-long strike that ended just days ago. Currently, Keystone patrollers earn a starting wage of $21.50 per hour, which the union argues falls short of providing a livable income in Summit County.
On December 18, 2024, Keystone Ski Patrol staged a “walk-in” demonstration, with around 60 patrollers gathering in solidarity before starting their workday. The patrollers, joined by off-duty colleagues, walked into their locker room together to demonstrate their ability to mobilize. During the action, the union delivered a letter to Vail Resorts leadership outlining their demands for timely and significant contract agreements.
- Related: Misinformation Claims Dominate Negotiations Between Keystone, CO, Ski Patrol Union and Vail Resorts
The union also filed an unfair labor practice charge against Vail Resorts, alleging the company failed to provide merit raises earned by patrollers last season. It claimed Vail Resorts was violating the status-quo requirement during contract negotiations, a legal obligation under labor law that prohibits employers from changing the terms and conditions of employment during contract negotiations with a union. Additionally, the union criticized Vail for counterproposals that removed standard contract terms previously agreed upon with other unionized patrols.
Keystone Ski Patrol emphasizes the demanding nature of their work, which includes medical emergencies, avalanche mitigation, and technical rescues in challenging conditions. Despite these responsibilities, many patrollers report struggling to afford housing and working multiple jobs to make ends meet.
In response to the above information, Shannon Buhler, Keystone Resort’s Vice President and General Manager, issued a memo to all employees addressing misinformation regarding its latest meeting with the patrol union. The memo, sent to SnowBrains by Vail Resorts, is below:
I am reaching out to you today to share some updates about our ongoing negotiations with the union that represents Keystone Ski Patrol. I recognize that there may be different perspectives and opinions when it comes to the topic of unions, and I respect our employees’ right to voice their opinion. And it is important to be sure there is no misinformation about this process.
Last week, we met with the union and presented our proposal on wages and benefits. This included proposals for skills-based pay, including EMT and medical certifications. It was a productive and respectful meeting. Since that meeting, the union has shared inaccurate information regarding that discussion and the skills-based pay the resort proposed. Some of our team members have asked me questions and raised concerns about what
they have read, so I want to make sure you have the facts:FACT: Keystone Resort is not questioning, nor have we ever questioned, the need or value for patrollers to have advanced medical care skills. We recognize, appreciate, and are proud of the frontline care our patrollers provide to our guests, and our proposal includes individualized skills-based pay for medical certifications.
FACT: Keystone Resort is not reducing wages for patrollers with higher medical certifications. Our latest proposal offers individualized skills-based pay for both EMT certifications and advanced EMT certifications. Employees with certifications like Advanced EMT, Paramedic, and RN will receive skills-based pay.
FACT: Keystone Resort is not removing specialty team skills-based pay and individualized skills-based pay for patrollers. This is an important element of the patrol wage structure for the company, and there has been no discussion about taking it away. And our latest skills-based pay offer actually exceeds those requested by the union for several patroller levels and positions.
FACT: We remain committed to negotiating in good faith and reaching an agreement with our patrollers at Keystone Resort. We are looking forward to our next bargaining session scheduled for Jan. 30. We have offered to meet with the union before then to discuss any feedback they have from our last meeting.
We have an enormous amount of respect for all our Keystone Resort employees, including our ski patrollers, who are an important part of our resort team and the Keystone experience. We remain committed to a respectful and productive negotiation process aligned to our values and to reaching agreement.
Our resort is made up of thousands of employees across numerous departments and it takes all of us to open this mountain and operate safely each and every day. There is no one department that alone makes this mountain safe, it takes all of us, working together as one team.
Thank you all for your teamwork and leadership and for staying focused on delivering a fun and safe experience here at Keystone.
“We’re not just first responders; we’re a full-fledged EMS service,” the union wrote in a social media post, adding that their work requires extensive mental and physical sacrifices to ensure guest safety. The patrol argues that their expertise and dedication should allow them to live and thrive in the community they serve.
Keystone’s negotiations follow an agreement at Park City Mountain, where ski patrollers secured wage increases and improved working conditions after a highly publicized strike. Breckenridge Ski Patrol Union, whose current contract expires in May 2025, is next in line to negotiate with Vail Resorts, signaling a broader push by ski patrol unions across the company’s portfolio.
