Vacationers at the United States’ largest ski resort were outraged by three-hour waits for lifts due to a worker strike.
The week after Christmas is usually the busiest time of year for skiing, and that’s no exception at Park City Resort in Utah, the largest ski area in the US by length of trails.
On December 27, the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association went on strike against Vail Resorts, the owner of the Park City ski mountain, demanding a living wage.
Despite a message from January 4 from Vail claiming the mountain was “open and operating safely despite the patrol union strike,” skiers have noticed major delays in using the facilities.
Peter Nystrom of Minnesota visited Park City with his wife, four children and in-laws to go skiing and encountered “2-3 hour lines for lifts.”
‘Longest lines ever. No excuse. Operational and management failures during the busiest week of the year. $20,000 vacation with 2-3 hour lines for lifts. At least give a discount to those who bought lift tickets while the strike was happening!’ he wrote in a social media post on December 30.
In his post, he included a photo of the obscenely long line he was stuck in for the chairlift. It costs $288 for a one-day lift ticket at Park City Resort, while parents for children ages 5 to 12 will have to pay more than $187.
A video placed on a local news channel Instagram showed a line for an elevator that snaked through much of the resort. People were seen waiting with all their belongings, with no end in sight.
Pictured: The line at just one of the open lifts at Park City Resort in Utah on December 30
Peter Nystrom of Minnesota, who visited the mountain with his family, claimed the lines were two to three hours long. He was disappointed because he spent $20,000 on the vacation
Distinctive ski patrollers with signs are depicted on the side of Park City Mountain
“You have less than 20 percent of the mountain available for skiing, but they don’t limit the number of guests or consumers they allow on the ski mountain, which made it very unsafe and very challenging for, I think, everyone. Nystrom later said ABC4.com in an interview.
As of Monday morning, nearly 30 percent of the mountain trails are open, while about 60 percent of the lifts are operational.
Nystrom said guests on the mountain are relying on workers and hoped Vail would quickly reach an agreement to end the strike, which has lasted 11 days so far.
“I think the majority of guests are on the same page with the employees and the employees in saying, ‘Hey, we need to work together to figure out how we can encourage Vail Resorts to come to the bargaining table,'” Nystrom said .
He added that because of his bad experience, he will look “other than a Vail-managed resort and mountain” for his next ski trip.
On December 23 Instagram post the ski patrol union explained the objectives behind the strike.
The union wants fair compensation for “the experienced and skilled senior patrol officers” and better working conditions, including a health care allowance, accrued paid leave, vacation pay and parental leave.
They also want the base hourly wage for a ski patrol to be increased from $21 to $23. As part of that, they demanded an “annual cost of living adjustment.”
Striking workers recently had a picket line near the mountain, although most hope the strike will end soon
Nik Smith, pictured, is one of them. He has worked at the resort for nine years and says his wages as a ski patroller make up the majority of his income for the year.
Corlan Williamson, a ski patroller at the resort for four years, said the ski patrollers’ last contract expired in April 2024. He said they had been working without a contract until the strike.
‘We hate to negatively impact anyone’s holiday, but we don’t feel like it’s us affecting their holiday. “It is Vail that will not agree to pay us a living wage for this work that we value and love to do,” he said. told ABC4.com on Sunday.
Williamson said patrollers on other Utah mountains earn more than his colleagues.
According to the Vail Patrol, wages have increased over the past four seasons to an average of $25 per hour, with entry-level positions starting at $22.40 per hour.
“Our wages and benefits are high, as evidenced by the high return rate among patrol teams in our company and by the number of applicants we receive for each patrol opening,” said Bill Rock, president of the Mountain Division of Vail Resorts.
“Nonetheless, we remain committed to reaching an agreement that demonstrates the great respect we have for our patrols.”
Ski patrols are an essential part of the proper functioning of any ski mountain. These employees are charged with a long list of responsibilities, all related to the safety of skiers and snowboarders.
They prevent avalanche conditions, groom trails and provide first aid if someone is injured on the mountain.
Nik Smith, who has been a ski patroller for nine years, said he hopes the strike ends soon because the job makes up most of his income.
‘I hoped that the company would come to the negotiating table and give us a fair offer so that we could continue working. I’d rather be up there on the hill,” Smith said from a picket line downtown.
Vail said it plans to continue mediation with the strikers on Monday and Tuesday after negotiations collapsed on December 27.