Park City locals and visitors may have heard honking and cheering at Deer Valley Drive and Park Avenue Saturday morning. About 65 ski patrollers, mountain safety staff and supporters encouraged drivers to show support for about three hours.
The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association organized the practice picket after it called resort management’s response to initial wage proposals “extremely disappointing” earlier in the week.
In the last round of negotiations, the patrollers asked for $2 more per hour. Association spokesperson Quinn Graves said the resort’s counter-proposal was a half percent increase in wages. The last time wages were increased for ski patrollers was in 2022, she said, bringing the wage to $21 an hour.
“We're asking for a starting wage of $23 an hour for our unit,” she said. “We think that's very fair, and we want to stay in line with inflation and cost of living.”
Park City Mountain ski patrollers and other mountain safety staff have not been under contract since the end of April when the previous contract expired. Both sides will follow the previous contract until a new agreement is reached.
Graves said the labor organization wants the resort to move toward what it sees as a fair and swift contract resolution. Another association spokesperson, Margaux Klingensmith, said that’s why they practice picketed while also keeping everyone safe on the mountain.
“We have an entire team that was scheduled for the day. They're out on the mountain, they're keeping everyone safe for the day after opening day, working hard,” she said. “Everyone here is a unit who is off today just to show our solidarity.”
Park City Mountain Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Deirdra Walsh told KPCW in a statement that the resort wants to reach an agreement demonstrating the “great respect” it has for its patrollers.
Walsh also said the company is proud of its continued investments in ski patrol pay and benefits.
“Over the past three years, the average wage for ski patrollers across the company, including at Park City Mountain, has increased substantially — far outpacing the rate of wage inflation — resulting in very competitive wages,” Walsh said. “Our wage proposal includes additional increases consistent with how we reward all employees on an annual basis, with wages this year that would again outpace wage inflation.”
The union organization said it has tentatively agreed to most other terms in the contract. Wages and benefits are the main points still being discussed.
