Park City Mountain Resort ski patrollers strike to ‘step up our fight’

Park City Mountain ski patrollers officially went on strike early Friday. They cited unfair labor practices, marking the latest chapter in the union’s ongoing contract negotiations with the resort’s owner, Vail Resorts.

Together at 7:30 a.m., members of the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association “hung up their jackets and walked out of the locker room” to form a picket line of about 200 patrol officers and security guards, the union announced Friday. The strike, they said, was intended to “strengthen our fight” for a fair contract.

Union members gathered at four different picket lines near the resort’s Canyons Village and Mountain Village base areas, holding signs and chanting as music played and passing cars briefly honked in support.

Even when a lot of snow fell from above, they remained steadfast.

“We love our work…” read one sign. “A livable wage is not a big demand.”

“Despite the union’s actions, Park City Mountain remains open with safety as our top priority,” Park City Mountain Vice President and COO Deirdra Walsh said in a statement. She added that “the entire proposed site will be open thanks to patrol leaders from Park City Mountain and our other mountain resorts.”

According to Margaux Klingensmith, executive director of the ski patrol union, the final push to initiate a strike came Thursday after negotiators from Vail Resorts and the union met with a mediator to negotiate contracts.

She said the resort did not provide a wage and benefits proposal during the seven-hour hearing.

“We saw a pattern of stalling and feared that mediation would be another step in that direction,” Klingensmith said from the picket line, where honks and cheers could be heard in the background. “We gave him a chance.”

Since April, when the previous contract expired, the union has required ski patrol members to start at $23 an hour, up from $21; that more experienced patrol officers and security guards be paid for their skills; and for a benefits package that offers seasonal employees year-round coverage.

“Vail Resorts forced this work stoppage through malicious negotiations and repeated violations of the National Labor Relations Act,” said a news release from Communications Workers of America, which represents the Park City union. “Consistent with Vail Resort’s bad faith tactics, the company has refused to make a counteroffer on wages or benefits for the past two weeks.”

According to Walsh’s statement, the resort has increased its patrol’s pay by 50% over the last four seasons. Her current proposal increases wages an additional 4% and provides each patrol officer $1,600 for equipment, she said.

Walsh also said Vail and the union reached an agreement on 24 of his 27 contract terms.

“We are deeply disappointed that the patrol union has abandoned arbitration,” Walsh said, “and opted for drastic measures that attempt to disrupt mountain operations in the middle of the holiday season.”

The union has had the option to strike since December 13, when 98.5% of its members voted 100% to approve the move.

Since then, the union has reported that Vail Resorts has brought in patrol officers from other areas to take their patrol officers’ places in the event of a strike – something that prompted the union to file unfair labor practice complaints with the National Labor Relations Board.

In an Instagram post, the union also argued that the alleged practice “will jeopardize the safety of everyone here.”

“I can tell you from personal experience that I’m in my sixth season patrolling here,” Klingensmith said, “and it’s a huge resort and I’m still learning the terrain.”

Vail cited Walsh’s statement that safety is the resort’s “top priority” and pointed to the “Commitment to Safety” section of the patrol website, which says a patrol support team will be deployed if necessary. This support team is made up of experienced patrollers from Park City Mountain and “our other mountain resorts,” all of whom receive specialized training for each terrain they are assigned to, according to the website.

“We are proud of the extensive skills, knowledge and professionalism of this team,” the website says. “They have developed these skills over many years – in some cases decades – of patrol experience and certifications.”

During the strike, the union is asking the public to support local businesses instead of spending their money in Vail.

“Our negotiators have communicated to the company that they are open and available to meet at any time,” Klingensmith said. “We were forced to do this. We tried at every turn to avoid a strike, and I wish I could say the company did the same by negotiating in good faith.”

On Friday afternoon, Klingensmith said the union’s negotiating team had since met with the mediator, but Vail had not joined.

“No progress has been made,” she said.

In a statement, Walsh said Vail “planned a full day of productive mediation” on the Friday before the strike.

“Our negotiating team had to shift focus today to operational continuity. We remain committed to reaching an agreement,” she said.

—Tribune staff photographer Francisco Kjolseth contributed to this report.