Apres-strike: Vail Resorts, Park City patrollers reach labor deal

BROOMFIELD — Negotiators with Broomfield-based Vail Resorts Inc. (NYSE: MTN) and the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association union reached a deal on Wednesday, putting an end to a two-week ski patrol strike that disrupted operations at the Utah resort during one of its busiest periods of the season. 

The new labor contract bumps starting wages from $21 to $23 per hour, according to the union. More tenured workers get $4 raises and the most senior patrollers can receive hourly increases of up to $7.75.

“We feel strongly that we have secured a contract with a wage structure and benefits package that incentivizes retention and career growth on Patrol,” the union said in an Instagram post. “This puts an end to this historic strike at the largest ski resort in the U.S. Tomorrow, (Jan. 9), we are excited to return to work! This is more than just a win for our unit, it is a great success for everyone in the ski and mountain industry. This is a clear example of what can be achieved when workers stand together and fight for what we deserve.”

Vail’s mountain division president Bill Rock said in a statement that the deal “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.”

Rock said he “apologize(s) 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 work stoppage by union members resulted in hours-long waits for ski lifts at the Utah resort, according to social media users. The long waits and limited mountain access left some Park City visitors angry and frustrated with both the striking patrollers and Vail Resorts. A chant of “Pay your employees!” broke out over the weekend among a throng of skiers waiting for a lift, according to ski publication Powder Magazine.

After losing about 5% of its value over the past week or so, Vail’s stock price rebounded modestly on Thursday morning. Just before 11 a.m., the stock was trading at $180.14 up 1.7% for the day. 

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