Guests like Peter Nystrom invested significant funds in their skiing holidays, only to encounter grueling waits and disappointment at one of the nation's premier ski resorts. The situation has prompted criticisms of how Vail Resorts is handling the ongoing negotiations with the ski patrol union, raising alarms about customer service during peak season. Families are left questioning whether they will get the skiing experience they paid for.
The current strike, which has resulted in only a fraction of lifts being operational, reflects deeper concerns about worker conditions in recreational industries. As the negotiations appear stalled, the union members are trying to balance their need for fair compensation and the safety of skiers and snowboarders.
Meanwhile, the temporary measures put in place—such as using ski patrol managers and staff from other locations—have led to concerns about the level of safety provided to skiers. As Park City Mountain attempts to navigate this labor dispute while keeping the slopes as safe and enjoyable as possible, the long-term implications for both guest satisfaction and employee relationships remain uncertain.
Park City, Utah, is grappling with a substantial disruption in operations due to an ongoing strike by professional ski patrollers. After months of negotiations for increased wages and benefits, the ski patrol workers walked off the job on December 27th, leaving guests and management in a challenging position amidst peak winter season. Currently, only 25 out of 41 lifts are functioning, providing limited access to the slopes, and resulting in frustrating experiences for visitors eager to enjoy the snow. The strike is primarily fueled by demands for a $2 increase in hourly wages and better healthcare benefits for the ski patrol staff. Representatives from the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association, which includes over 200 patrollers, argue that the high cost of living in mountain towns necessitates higher pay to allow employees to remain in the community. Visitors have reported waiting for hours just to access the few active runs, leading to dissatisfaction among families who planned trips well in advance. The representatives of Vail Resorts have responded to the strike by stating that wages for patrol staff have risen significantly in recent years, claiming an average increase of over 50% over the last four seasons. However, guest frustrations continue to mount as they encounter exceedingly long lift lines and limited mountain safety personnel due to the strike. As tensions remain high between the ski patrol union and resort management, the situation at Park City Mountain raises critical concerns about safety and the overall guest experience during one of the busiest times of the year. In the midst of this labor dispute, the question remains: how can the resort balance the needs of its staff and its visitors?They are only asking for $2 more dollars and hour and benefits? Vail is so greedy. Wow
Vail Resorts has destroyed skiing as I knew it. When Lynch was marketing officer she put together a program to heavily market the wealthy in South America and this included, without direct targeting, drug cartels. When I last skied Vail, a couple of years ago, the warning signs on the slopes were in Spanish and Portuguese and the lines, even without a strike, were insufferable. As CEO, she is killing the goose and jamming her employees, something she learned at Brown, I guess. I have not, nor will I ever, renew my Epic pass. Too bad. I remember when Vail Mountain was a blue jean mountain in the 70’s and 80’s and not a crowded, glitzy Aspen. Those days are long gone. Park City has out of control crowds no matter what. Six years ago I had my ski tips run over by a boarder and four years ago got broadsided by one who had no idea what was around him; just too crowded. She has tried to squeeze just too much out of these once great mountains; but the shareholders are happy, for now.
They want only want $25.00 an hour? That’s nothing theses days! I couldn’t work that cheap! Let a lone to live in the area. Corp ski areas have definitely ruined many ski areas and towns.
I was a freestyle ski instructor for Vail resorts. I bought a pass last year but didnt go once due to horrible conditions and the resort closing early. I figured since I never used the pass once no harm no foul and I could transfer it to this season. Nope they gave me the run around and said thanks for the 600 dollars. You couldnt pay me to ski vail resorts now.
Worked in Santa Fe and the mountain owner ignored all of our attempts to plead for adequate staffing. We had 2 peaks and would have consistently only 3-4 patrollers on duty. This meant you were stuck at a peak for hours without being bumped. It takes 2 patrollers to effectively run a basic call, god forbid anyone was seriously injured. If additional resources were needed for a call you’d have to leave the shed empty. It was a small mountain and not owned by a major corporation but that shouldn’t matter. These mountains put all their money into the ski school and snow guns because they bring money into the mountain but it’s the patrol that keeps it from leaving.
