Park City Mountain is open for the season, but over 200 ski patrol and mountain safety staff at the resort are working without a contract.
The ski patrol union’s contract with Vail Resorts expired in April, and though the sides have been negotiating for new terms since then, progress has stalled.
On the petition’s signature page, the union said its goals include base wages of $23 per hour, improved benefits, and higher pay in line with longtime ski patrollers’ experience.
The expired contract stipulated beginner ski patrollers earned $21 per hour. The union says that’s not enough to keep pace with inflation and the cost of living in a ski town.
The union’s business manager has previously told KPCW its top concern is wage compression, meaning experienced patrollers’ pay doesn’t reflect their tenure.
Posted on Change.org, the petition asks for donations and support from skiers and riders. More than 1,000 people had signed as of Sunday afternoon, Dec. 1.
Park City Mountain Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Deirdra Walsh told KPCW in November the resort is committed to reaching “an agreement that works for everybody.”
Last time the ski patrol union negotiated with Vail, in 2022, the union voted to strike. A walkout was averted after the sides reached a deal in their 50th bargaining session.
Union representatives have said a strike remains a final resort.
