The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association said resort management’s recent response to its initial wage proposal was “extremely disappointing.”
The new figures proposed have not been released. In the previous union contract, beginner ski patrollers earned $21 per hour. That contract expired in April but the union will continue to follow that agreement until a new deal is reached.
The two parties hope to reach an agreement in bargaining sessions at the beginning of the week, days before opening day Nov. 22.
The union’s business manager previously told KPCW its top concern is wage compression, meaning long-time patrollers don’t receive pay that reflects their tenure with the company.
Park City Mountain Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Deirdra Walsh said the resort is committed to reaching an agreement.
“We are in active conversations with them,” Walsh said. “I have the utmost respect for our ski patrol team, for everybody who chooses to work at Park City Mountain, and I have been very pleased with the tone and the tenor of the dialogue that we’ve had and we’ll continue to work toward an agreement that works for everybody.”
During the last round of negotiations in 2022, the union voted to strike amid challenges reaching an agreement. A walkout was averted after the sides reached a deal in their 50th bargaining session.
Union representatives have said a strike remains a last-resort option.
