The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association has just voted to authorize a strike. The union is in the middle of contract negotiations with their employer, Vail Resorts, but Vail is not budging. Keep reading to learn more and find out how to help the Park City Ski Patrol get strike ready.
Park City Mountain in Utah, owned by Vail Resorts, is a skiing retreat that caters to the wealthy. Ski patrollers work every day to make sure the trails are safe for those patrons―but Vail Resorts is refusing to settle a contract giving them the pay and the benefits they deserve.
Vail Resorts is hoping that this contract fight will go unnoticed just because the patrollers’ union, Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association (PCPSPA), isn’t as well known as unions like Amazon Labor Union or Trader Joe’s United.
But an injury to one is an injury to all, and as y’all know, The Labor Force is here for every fight. You can help the Park City Ski Patrol get strike ready with a contribution to their strike fund.
What does the Ski Patrol do?
You might be wondering, what do ski patrollers do? A lot, actually.
Avalanche Mitigation: After a big snowstorm, ski patrollers detonate high explosives in order to start avalanches before the slopes open, in order to make the mountain safe for resort guests.
Search and Rescue: When a skier or snowboarder gets lost, the local authorities call on the ski patrol, who search by ground or helicopter to get those folks back home safely.
Aiding Injured Skiers: In addition to medical training, ski patrollers must have the skills to bring hurt guests down the mountain–skiing while towing a toboggan carrying an injured snowboarder is no small feat.
What is the Park City Ski Patrol fighting for?
The patrollers putting their lives on the line to make skiing holidays safe for resort-goers are worth more than the price of a cheeseburger and a bottle of water. But despite the level of risk and skill required for the job, the current starting wage for a ski patroller at Vail Resorts is $21/hour. Yeah, read that again.
The union is fighting to raise the starting wage to $23/hour, ensure that patrollers are fairly compensated for their experience, and enhance benefits for all members.
Help the Park City Ski Patrol Get Strike Ready!
PCPSPA has been in negotiations with Vail Resorts since March, and the resort has failed to settle a fair contract with the union. On December 13, union members voted unanimously to authorize a strike.
To help PCPSPA get strike ready, consider a contribution to the Park City Ski Patrol strike fund today.
In solidarity,
The Labor Force