Park City Mountain Resort ski patrollers are on strike. What visitors should expect.
- Ski patrollers at Park City Mountain Resort are on strike, seeking a $2 raise in base pay.
- Despite limited terrain, lift lines have been manageable, with average waits of 5-10 minutes.
- There is no set end date for the strike.
Ski patrollers at Park City Mountain Resort are in the second week of a strike as their union and Vail Resorts, which owns the mountain, continue to struggle to come to terms for a new contract.
According to the patrollers, the key sticking point is a pay increase. However, mountain managers say they remain committed to resolving the issue after addressing multiple other contract items.
Meanwhile, the mountain is struggling to keep terrain open with limited ski patrol staffing.
What should visitors to Park City expect during the strike?
Park City Mountain Resort is struggling to open terrain during the strike. On Tuesday, the resort's website showed just 104 out of 350 trails were open, despite the mountain receiving four inches of fresh snow in the last 48 hours, and more than two feet in the last week.
However, with fewer visitors during the week, a resort spokesperson told Paste BN that lift lines are less extreme than skiers and riders were reporting over the weekend.
Average waits for most lifts were just 5-10 minutes on Tuesday morning, the spokesperson said.
But the mountain's executives acknowledged that it's unclear how much can remain open each day.
"What we are doing is opening the terrain we can safely open with the people we have each day during the strike. We strive for transparency on operations," Deirdra Walsh, Chief Operating Officer of Park City Mountain said in a statement. "The truth is that during this unprecedented time, each day is dynamic, and we are doing the best we can to keep guests informed."
What is ski patrol seeking in negotiations?
Ski patrollers said their main goal is a $2 raise to base pay in the next contract.
"During the winter, our members work 7-5 (10 hour shifts), 4-5 days a week. 12+ hour shifts if it snows and we come in early for avalanche control work. Even with overtime pay, we are barely getting by," the union said in a statement on Facebook. "In our current negotiations, we are fighting to make this a sustainable, long-term career choice. We’re not just aiming to survive — we want to thrive. A livable wage is essential to ensure we return year after year, bringing our experience and expertise to the job."
The mountain's management said discussions are ongoing and the teams are making progress.
"Over the months of negotiations with the patrol, we did make progress. We had agreed to 24 of the 27 contract items the union opened," Walsh's statement said. "We remain committed to reaching an agreement that demonstrates our respect for them."
When will this be resolved?
There is no set end date for the strike.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for Paste BN based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.