Industry News
Park City Mountain Resort, Utah, continues facing unprecedented challenges today as the strike by the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association (PCPSPA) moves into its 12th day. PCPSPA went on strike on December 27, citing a breakdown in contract negotiations with Vail Resorts. With nearly 200 patrollers walking off the job over disputes surrounding wages and benefits, the strike has left the resort operating at a fraction of its usual capacity in the middle of the peak holiday season.
- Related: Park City Ski Patrol Officially on Strike Today—Likely First-Ever Ski Patrol Strike in History
In an open letter in The Park Record, Park City Mountain Resort COO Deirdra Walsh addressed the strike and its impact, emphasizing the company’s commitment to ensuring guest safety and operational continuity, and claiming there is a lot of misinformation surrounding the negotiations.
The full letter is below:
Skiing and snowboarding are such an important part of our community. At Park City Mountain, we are deeply committed to showing up every day, working hard to bring our mountain to life for our guests and the community. And when we fall short, no matter the cause, we do not take it lightly.
I know the experience at the mountain over the peak holiday period was frustrating for our skiers and riders. On behalf of the resort, I want to apologize to everyone that we haven’t been able to open the terrain we had hoped for by now and that the line wait times were longer than usual during the peak holiday because of the ski patrol union strike. This was not the holiday skiing and riding experience anyone wanted, and we know that.
But what we are doing is opening the terrain we can safely open with the people we have each day during the strike. We strive for transparency on operations. And the truth is that during this unprecedented time, each day is dynamic, and we are doing the best we can to keep guests informed.
What I also know is that the commitment from our working patrol team right now is nothing short of remarkable. It is heartbreaking to see not just them, but all our employees, putting up with relentless harassment online and in person that is absolutely shameful. They don’t deserve it, and it needs to stop.
Nobody wins in a strike.
Over the months of negotiations with the patrol, we did make progress. We had agreed to 24 of the 27 contract items the union opened.
Conversations were not always easy, but they were respectful. When we both agreed we were not making progress on the remaining articles, we both agreed to mediation. And we were committed to the process that goes with it.
We had three mediation sessions scheduled for Dec. 26 and 27, and Jan. 2, based on the assigned mediator’s availability. The union made the choice to walk out after just the first session because they knew that is when it would impact the experience most. We never walked away.
By choosing to strike during the peak holiday, the union hurt their fellow employees, skiers and snowboarders, and their neighbors.
People have asked, “Can’t you just pay patrol $2/hour more?” It’s never been about $2. There’s a lot of misinformation surrounding these negotiations.
First, please know: We care deeply about the work of our ski patrol; we have invested a lot in them and will continue to. Second, they are asking for much more than $2/ hour. In fact, on the day they went on strike, their demands equaled $7/hour more. Finally, you should know that we have come to the table with compelling offers.
Still, we remain committed to reaching an agreement that demonstrates our respect for them. Both negotiation teams met with the mediators four days last week, and additional mediation is scheduled for this week. That is progress towards an agreement. And when this ends, we will move forward together because that is who we are as a team.
In the meantime, I have one ask: Please be kind to the people who are working so hard to keep the mountain open. The harassment that our employees have been subjected to over the past two weeks is not in the spirit of our community’s values.
Vail lost the PR battle here and has been losing it for a long time. Since they acquired PCMR the skiing experience has noticeably deteriorated. A ski patroller was killed on the job 2 years ago because a dead tree fell over and hit the lift he was on in heavy wind, why was there a dead tree next to a lift? Should’ve maybe been cut down the previous summer? I saw a large dead tree fall across a run that same wind storm fortunately not hitting any skiers. Runs and certain lifts take longer than they should to get open for the season, runs don’t get brush pruning for year after year making them un-safe, lodges don’t get open due to staffing shortages, snow making issues, key runs still not open HUGE lines form every morning at the bottom of the Canyons base waiting for lifts to start running – how about loading at 830 instead of 9? … Vail stop blaming everyone else the buck stops with you!
Vail Resorts is claiming misinformation on the strike. The only misinformation is the corporate hubris from VR. I am sure VR has spent more in attorney fees in stalling and misleading the public about the simple request by the ski patrol to be fairly paid.
I live in Beaver Creek and Wendy’s has higher hourly wage rate than what the ski patrol makes. This tells me that to VR the saving of their guest lives and keeping skiers safe is not worth as much as a customer’s fries at Wendy’s. VR’s robust baloney about the patrol having a 50% raise is misleading and not right.
Finally, VR’s executives are overpaid–do you think someone from Illinois who skied at 100-foot vertical ski area is really qualified to be the CEO of VR? This same CEO has a marketing background and is not familiar with ski area operations. Pete principle at its best for the CEO–person promoted to their highest level of their incompetence.
Tony Zito, did you miss the part about how their contract ran out in May and they waited until the last minute to negotiate? Vail bluffed and the union called it. Play stupid games….
Look at their dividend payout history for 2024. The whole time their patrollers were without a contract, they were paying dividends to shareholders. Probably just a coincidence. Here’s something that isn’t.
Vail Resorts, Inc.’s payout ratio is 140.88% which means that 140.88% of the company’s earnings are paid out as dividends.
What a disgusting, pathetic letter. Nowhere in there is there anything even resembling a shred of accountability. And of course the blame game is in full swing. It’s not about the pay? Of course it is. You made 1.2 billion in profits last year. You can afford to pay them a wage that is still LESS than the starting rate at Deer Valley next door.
I was in PC snowboarding last Thursday through Sunday and the strike was discussed on 50% of the lift rides I was on. Not one person I spoke to blamed ski patrol. Take away who’s right or wrong and look at how badly Vail is losing in the court of public opinion. I’m going to non Vail owned mountain next year.
Maybe one should thank Biden and Kamala for the high inflation that is making the almighty $$$ go a lot less further these days. Trump will get things back on track soon! #MAGA
It’s so simple ski patrolers. If you’re not getting paid what you’re worth, take your services to their competitors.
It’s win/win. You get the wage you deserve and the company goes out of business for lack of ski patrol personnel.
It’s not complicated in the least.
She makes over 7 million, get rekt lady!
Vail and its investors have destroyed Whistler as well, with most long time patrollers leaving because of the new policies that Vail brought with them after buying Whistler Blackcomb. The eliminated all volunteers on both mountains thus destroying one of the only way many locals could afford to ski in an already expensive hill. Now a day pass is over $200???? Good bye family skiing.
Good bye Vail Co. PS…I did 20 years patrolling.
Oooh $7 an hour more!?! That’s like less than 10K per day more in overall operating budget for the mountain or 30 single day lift tickets. That’s nothing for the amount of expertise that the patrollers are bringing to the mountain
Yup, and way less than they deserve too
The union went on strike because Vail was not counter offering anything on the pay raise. The union contact expired in May, so Vail has had lots of time. That a company so rich should be unwilling to provide a cost of living pay raise is unconscionable. This all started because Vail was only paying their patrollers $11/hr 7 years ago
My Vail Boycott started in 2005. It was easy to see even back then that staying away from everything vail at all cost is the safe bet. If vail swooped in and bought your ski hill then you should try to leave. If you can’t, then they own you.
If a Vail resort was my only close resort, I’d gladly find something else to do with my money
Cold hearted and detached from the reality of the people struggling to work and live in an unaffordable situation created by the corporation.Ms.Walsh should try walking in a patroller’s boots for a season.She might learn that being generous and caring is more important than the bottom line!
It easy. Pay your dang employees enough to live there. I’m having a same problem in Utah where I can’t live on the pay I make When a company makes 200+ million in revenue. You can pay your employees well
I’ve read every article I can find on this dispute and they all seem to miss the key issue.
What is the going rate for an entry level ski patrol?
What wages do Alta, Brighton and Snowbird pay?
I think if there were an honest discussion that included this basic information, it would become very clear which side is being unreasonable. Is management trying to pay below market rates? Is labor trying to demand above market rates? Aren’t these the fundamental questions to answer?
My wife and I are going to Park City to ski for our 30th wedding anniversary next week. We have been planning for months and have already spent thousands of dollars for ski passes, travel, and lodging. If our experience is miserable because of Vail Report’s failure to negotiate on what appears to be a reasonable set of contract terms, then I will never go to Park City Mountain or any other Vail Resort in the future. Put that into your present value calculation of how much a failure to act will cost Vail Resorts. I do not blame the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association or any of the ski patrol team that is working — my frustration will not be with them.
So you think that a 33% pay hike, on top of the 50% over the last 4 years, is reasonable.
Two questions:
How much has your pay increased over the last 5 years?
If $7 is reasonable and easy, the. Why not make it $10, or $15? The “big corporation” can afford it….