Ski patrollers reach deal to end strike at Utah’s Park City Mountain Resort

Ski patrollers at the biggest U.S. ski resort reached a tentative deal with the corporate owner of Utah’s Park City Mountain Resort to end a strike and resume normal operations after almost two weeks of closed terrain and long lift lines at the busiest time of year.

Neither the Park City Professional Ski Patrollers Association nor Colorado-based Vail Resorts released details about the agreement ahead of a planned ratification vote Wednesday.

Whatever happens, the strike brought attention — and judging from the many supportive car honks for strikers, sympathy — to the struggle of ski patrollers to make ends meet in pricey mountain communities.

A union win could produce better pay for other ski workers, predicted one industry watcher.

“Generally when one group of employees successfully bargains for a contract they think is fair, it does tend to create the ‘rising tide lifts all boats’ dynamic,” said Alex Kaufman, a former ski resort marketing executive and podcaster.

Park City, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of Salt Lake City, is a resort town of about 8,000 people where the average home price tops $1.5 million and the cost of living is well above average.

The 200 ski patrollers at Park City Mountain Resort went on strike on Dec. 27 alleging unfair bargaining in negotiations since March. The tentative deal to be in effect through April 2027 had the unanimous approval of ski patrol negotiators, according to a joint statement from the union and the resort.

“Everyone looks forward to restoring normal resort operations and moving forward together as one team,” the statement said.

Ski patrollers maintain safety by monitoring terrain, responding to accidents, hauling hurt skiers downhill and reducing avalanche risk, such as by releasing built-up snow with explosives when nobody’s nearby. It’s specialized work where familiarity with a resort’s terrain and how to respond to a variety of injuries and situations can be valuable.

It’s also a seasonal job. Many ski patrollers work as fly-fishing, mountain biking and whitewater rafting guides in warmer months.

Pointing to steep inflation since 2022, the Park City Professional Ski Patrollers Association sought a pay increase from $21 to $23 an hour. The union said $27 is a livable wage in Park City, which is also home to Deer Valley Resort.

It also sought higher pay for the longest-serving patrollers. The current scale tops out after five years on the job.

Vail Resorts, which with 42 properties on three continents calls itself the world’s largest mountain resort operator, said it already had been generous with the Park City Mountain Resort ski patrollers, pointing to a 50% base-pay increase from $13 to $21 an hour in 2022. It was offering a 4% pay increase for most patrollers and $1,600 each year for their equipment.

Ski labor negotiations aren’t unusual, but this strike happened after talks went much longer into the year than usual, drawing attention during a busy time, observed Kaufman.

“The issue was probably never really about the money or benefits. It was a conscious decision by Vail Resorts to let it bleed into the holidays,” Kaufman said. “They overplayed their hand and paid the price.”

Despite long waits, even some Park City Mountain Resort skiers have been sympathetic to the workers. “Pay your employees!” they chanted from lift lines in videos posted on social media.

Labor unions have secured meaningful employer concessions in recent months following strikes by Boeing factory workers, dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports, video game performers, and hotel and casino workers on the Las Vegas Strip.

The 45,000 dockworkers’ ongoing threats to resume their strike over automation would shut down ports and could damage the economy as President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Mead Gruver, The Associated Press