Industry News
Today, after a monthslong worker-led organizing effort, 70% of eligible ski patrollers at Palisades Tahoe, California, submitted a petition to the National Labor Relations Board requesting an election for union representation. They have also asked Palisades Tahoe management for voluntary recognition of their union. The Palisades Tahoe Professional Patrol Association is joining CWA 7781, the United Professional Ski Patrols of America.
Ski patrollers at Palisades Tahoe hold incredible knowledge essential for safe day-to-day operations and world-class athletic events, such as the Stifel Palisades Tahoe Cup, which the resort hosted this past weekend. However, the recent loss of journeymen patrollers, high turnover, and high cost of living have made it difficult for the patrol to retain the institutional knowledge needed to keep themselves and resort guests safe.
“Given these facts, we have decided to unionize,” reads the Palisades Tahoe Professional Patrol Association’s mission statement. “Our mission is to foster a better and safer skiing experience for our customers by improving employee retention and honing our skills. We will create a mechanism to promote safe working conditions, training, education, and wages that reflect our unique skill set and cost of living in our area.”
“We work at a big mountain with big consequences. It takes a long time to gain the skills necessary to adequately provide a safe and professional response to our guests. Our directors and supervisors have done everything in their power to fight for us, but we believe it’s time to ensure our collective voices are heard by Alterra and are no longer treated like unskilled labor.”
– Alex White, a sixth-year ski patroller
SnowBrains reached out to Palisades Tahoe, and the resort gave the following statement:
“Palisades Tahoe respects the right of our employees to support a union or not in the workplace and we will follow the process for employees to express their desire either way through a secret ballot election. We value open communication with all team members and hope we will continue to have that opportunity through a direct relationship in the future. Our goal is to provide competitive wages, good benefits, a safe working environment, and opportunities for professional growth.”
– Palisades Tahoe
Palisades Tahoe is the fourth ski patrol to file for a union election this ski season, marking a rapid increase in the rate of ski patrol unionization across the country. Notably, they are the second patrol to unionize under the ownership of Alterra Mountain Company, joining the Solitude Ski Patrollers Association. If successful, the Palisades Tahoe Professional Patrol Association would be California’s first unionized ski patrol.
