On Aug. 28 bike patrollers voted to unionize with the Communication Workers of America, according to a press release.
The vote took place after months of organizing by summer employees, the majority of whom are also represented by the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association during the resort’s winter operations.
Drew Seitz sat on the organizing committee for the new summer union.
“We’re just excited to be able to move forward with contract negotiations with the company at some point,” Seitz told KPCW. “Main things we’re looking for are some wage increase to put it more in line with what we feel like our job responsibilities entail. And then also it’s important to us to have transparency in hiring for positions in the summer.”
Bike patrollers at Park City Mountain spend their time treating injuries at the first aid station and responding to search and rescue calls. They’re also trained to evacuate lifts during emergencies. Other tasks include removing hazards from trails and offering directions to guests.
According to the press release, summer employees were subjected to captive audience meetings during their mandated morning briefings. Park City Mountain denies conducting such meetings, which allow employers to force their message about unionization on workers under threat of discipline or discharge.
The group has filed two unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, which deemed captive audience meetings unlawful last year.
Jonny Marguet, a third-year bike patroller, said there were no direct threats of retaliation, but management described ways the job would become harder following unionization.
“This illegal meeting played out the same as many that have been recorded online,” Marguet said in the press release. “What I found most disappointing is that the work we do does not seem to be appreciated by our managers, who are further removed from day-to-day summer mountain operations.”
In a statement, Park City Mountain Chief Operating Officer Deirdra Walsh said: “While we believe that a direct relationship between our managers and employees creates the strongest team, we respect the outcome of this vote and remain committed to supporting all of our team members at Park City Mountain.”
Following certification of the unionization election by the National Labor Relations Board, Walsh said they will work in “good faith” with the Communication Workers of America.
The formation of the new union follows a high profile unfair labor practice strike by Park City Mountain ski patrollers in December 2024 during the height of holiday tourism season.
