The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association and Vail have been negotiating since the last contract expired in April. Both parties are following their previous agreement until a new one is reached.
On Monday, President of Vail Resorts’ Mountain Division Bill Rock told KPCW the union agreed to its proposal to engage a mediator during negotiations. He said it was “some of the most promising news” so far.
Mediation comes on the heels of the union filing multiple unfair labor practice complaints against Vail with the National Labor Relations Board. Union spokesperson Quinn Graves said these complaints include delaying negotiations and failing to meet at reasonable intervals.
“Another one is the company started making some phone calls earlier this week asking internally of employees if we were to go on strike, if they would cross the picket line and come to work,” she said.
Graves also pointed out their negotiators requested mediation in mid-November. The union proposed its initial economic package proposal on Sept. 20 and Graves said Vail didn’t respond until 55 days later in November. That’s when union leaders asked to involve a mediator.
“[Vail] didn't say anything until a couple weeks ago, and then they were like, ‘Yeah, we could be open to a mediator,’” she said. “And then when all parties agreed to mediation on Monday, they have kind of spun it to the media to say that it was their idea and that the union has accepted mediation.”
Park City Mountain Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Deidra Walsh confirmed Thursday that the union proposed mediation early on.
“I'm really pleased that we all agreed on Monday night that this is the reasonable next step to reach a resolution,” she said. “The really valuable thing about mediators is that they can really support moving complex items along efficiently.”
The two parties came to a tentative agreement on an education and training package Wednesday. However, Graves said Vail did not come prepared with counteroffers on wages or benefits. She said the company also did not address the union’s request to adjust wages for inflation annually so the contract doesn’t need to be renegotiated every couple of years.
The local patrol union wants Vail to raise the patrollers’ base wage from $21 to $23 per hour across all resorts to adjust for nationwide inflation. The group also wants Vail to increase compensation for more experienced patrollers.
Vail Resorts’ counteroffer includes less than a 0.5% wage increase to entry-level patrollers and no increases to benefits.
While Vail said it has included other improvements in its offer, including a 4% wage increase for returning patrollers, Graves said this isn’t new. The 4% wage increase includes merit increases earned last season under the expired contract.
“So 3.5% of their 4% metric is actually our annual merit increase that is given to all Vail employees. This is based on how well you perform during the season,” she said. “So they are choosing to withhold our merit-based increases right now. And that is not something that is agreed to in the contract, it's a company merit-based increase that they give every year.”
Walsh said the 4% increase is still part of the contract and up for negotiation.
“The union's wages are set in their contract, including any annual increases for returning patrollers,” she said. “Since we're currently negotiating their contract, our last wage offer includes an average of a 4% increase for returning patrollers this year.”
Graves also said the local union’s struggles are not unique; other unions representing Vail employees, including Keystone Ski Patrol and Crested Butte Lift Maintenance, reported experiencing similar tactics.
Vail also has open unfair labor practice complaints from Crested Butte and Keystone.
While ski patrollers and mountain safety staff don’t want to strike, Graves said they are prepared to if necessary. While no date has been set, union members unanimously authorized a strike last week.
The union is holding a fundraiser at O’Shucks White House Sunday, Dec. 22, to raise money in case of a strike. The organization has raised over $18,000 of its $50,000 goal as of Thursday.
