After nearly two weeks on strike, Park City ski patrollers are finally going back to work after an agreement was reached and ratified to end the work stoppage that caused havoc for skiers.
“A lot of this job is deemed to be fun, which is amazing, but that should not negate the fact that all of us should be making living wages,” explained Quinn Graves, business manager with the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association.
Graves said the agreement felt like a huge relief and win that showed unions work.
The union received 100% ratification for the new contract.
“We were able to secure more wages for our unit and we were also able to secure some more benefits," said Graves, "so we were able to secure two weeks of paid parental leave for seasonal employees.”
The union believes the biggest wins were a minimum two-dollar-an-hour increase for all members, with most patrollers now making $4 an hour more with the new contract, and a nearly $8 an hour increase for senior patrollers.
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“Ski patrollers are the medical first responders on the mountain. We do a lot of the snow safety, which means avalanche mitigation work. We provide a lot of great guest experience," Graves said, "we think all mountain workers deserve a living wage.”
Graves added that the support the union received from the Park City community was incredible.
“I was born and raised in this town of Park City, and Park City has always been a place where the community comes together and supports one another, and so it's not really a surprise to me that everyone really rallied behind us and supported us,” she shared.
Park City Mountain Resort representatives declined an interview, but the president of Vail Resort's Mountain Division said the company is looking forward to welcoming patrollers back on the slopes.
This story was originally published by Jenna Bree with fox13now.com.
