Biking
Industry News
A summer of quiet organizing at Park City Mountain in Utah has ended in a decisive shift: the resort’s bike patrol voted to unionize, becoming the first group of summer employees at the resort to win collective bargaining rights. The move means that many patrollers who already belong to the ski patrol union in winter will now have union protections year-round. Roughly 50 full- and part-time staff form the new bargaining unit, which will operate as the Park City Bike Patrol Association under the Communications Workers of America.
Bike patrollers argue that their summer jobs demand serious skill and responsibility—stabilizing injured riders, conducting mountain rescues, keeping trails safe, and handling lift evacuations when necessary. Many say the work mirrors the complexity of winter patrol but has historically gone unnoticed in terms of labor protections. With a union now in place, they hope their training and daily risks will be acknowledged on par with their winter counterparts.
The campaign was not without conflict. The Park Record reports Union members filed complaints with federal regulators this summer, claiming they were required to attend daily briefings that doubled as what labor law calls “captive audience” meetings—mandatory sessions where management weighs in on unionization. The National Labor Relations Board ruled such meetings unlawful in 2024. Park City Mountain denied holding them, according to the Park Record.
This summer’s union push is reminiscent of major labor negotitations last winter, when ski patrollers staged a nearly two-week strike before winning higher wages and better benefits in a contract with Vail Resorts, which owns Park City Mountain. That agreement runs through 2027. For management, Friday’s outcome signaled another turning point in an evolving relationship with staff. “We respect the outcome of this vote and remain committed to supporting all of our team members,” Park City Mountain’s Chief Operating Officer Deirdra Walsh said in a statement, adding that the resort will work with the Communications Workers of America once certification is complete.
With the union vote, patrollers who keep Park City Mountain’s bike trail network safe will have added their voice to a growing national wave of outdoor recreation workers seeking more leverage at the bargaining table. Lift-served biking operations at Park City Mountain will continue to run through the month of September before they shut down and the resort begins prepping for the upcoming winter season.
