Park City Mountain Resort reaches agreement with ski patrollers
Jan 8, 2025, 10:24 PM | Updated: 10:50 pm
FILE — Skiers and Snowboarders ride lifts up the mountain at Park City Mountain Resort on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
(Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
PARK CITY – Park City Mountain Resort said they have reached an agreement with the ski patrol union Wednesday, ending a 13-day strike.
Approximately 200 members of the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association officially went on strike on Dec. 27, calling for livable wages. As ski patrollers walked a picket line, the Vail Resort’s functions were affected.
Bill Rock, president of the mountain division for Vail Resorts, issued a statement Wednesday night that said the unique terrain of Park City Mountain was accounted for when making the decision.
“Park City Mountain has reached an agreement with the Park City ski patrol union that is consistent with our company’s wage structure for all patrollers, non-unionized and unionized, while accounting for the unique terrain and avalanche complexity of Park City Mountain. We look forward to welcoming back the Park City Mountain patrollers in the coming days and moving forward together as one team. We apologize to our guests who were impacted by this strike and are incredibly grateful to our team who worked hard to keep the mountain open and operating safely over the past two weeks.”
The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association released a separate statement Wednesday, saying patrollers were “eager to resume their essential roles and maintain the highest standard of safety and guest experience at Park City Mountain.”
“The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association (PCPSPA) is pleased to announce that it has secured a fair contract with Vail resorts. This contract passed with a membership vote in favor of ratification.”
The Association said those who participated in the strike would report to work Thursday to continue keeping guests safe.
The new contract reportedly increased starting wages by $2 an hour, and increased tenured patroller’s wages by $4 an hour. The association also said that some of their most experienced employees would receive an average increase of $7.75 per hour. Additional benefits were also agreed on, including enhanced parental leave policies and “industry-leading education opportunities.”
Rock said snowmaking would continue, and teams would open terrain as new areas become safe.
