The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association brought public attention to their protracted contract negotiations with Vail Resorts. The Utah-based patrollers have been working without a contract since New Year’s Day, with negotiations commencing in August of last year.
Concerns for the Patrol include:
- Advanced training and education
- Adequate sick time
- Wages that are commensurate for professional first responders
The patrollers union has requested a professional, federally trained mediator to join the process on at least three occasions, since late last year, with the hope of moving the process forward. The union has also requested that corporate decisionmakers join the process, and were rebuffed each time, they said, until just this month, when Park City Chief Operating Officer Mike Goar announced that he would personally be taking part in the talks.
“While we’re pleased that someone from Vail of Mike Goar’s stature has finally joined negotiations, it is still our position that a neutral, professional mediator, trained and provided by the federal government at no cost to either party, is the best option to move these talks forward,” said Cressa Pratt, spokesperson for the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association.
Vail Resorts is also currently locked in negotiations with Professional Ski Patrollers at Stevens Pass Resort in Washington State. Patrollers there voted to unionize in April 2018 and are still seeking their first contract with Vail.