As snowmaking begins at ski areas across Summit County, ski patrollers are returning to their posts and preparing for another fast-paced season.

The ski patrollers at Breckenridge Ski Resort are no different, completing early-season training and prep ahead of the mountain’s opening day on Nov. 7. On top of getting their bodies and minds right ahead of the fresh season, members of the Breckenridge ski patrol union are currently working with Vail Resorts to negotiate a new contract. 

Breckenridge’s ski patrollers are among several groups across the country who have unionized at ski resorts in recent years. In Colorado alone, ski patrol teams have unionized at Eldora Mountain, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, Keystone Resort, Loveland Ski Area and Steamboat Ski Resort. 

The ski patrol team at Park City Mountain Resort in Utah drew national headlines last winter when patrollers went on strike throughout the height of the Christmas and New Year’s holiday. The strike resulted in long lines and disruptions at the mountain during one of the busiest times of year. 

A contract was eventually signed between ski patrol and Vail Resorts, ending the strike and giving workers a pay raise among other benefits.

The Breckenridge ski patrol union is hopeful that an agreement will be reached between them and Vail Resorts by the end of November. 

Patrollers at Breckenridge voted to unionize back in May 2021. As is common in any unionization effort, a vote was held with the union winning by a single vote, 43-42. By December of 2021, the union ratified its very first contract with Vail Resorts.

The first contract had a heavy focus on wage increases, employee housing, parking for patrollers, education and training requirements. The first contract lasted for two years before the union and Vail Resorts agreed upon a second contract in December of 2023. 

This time around, the contract focused primarily on wage increases for patrollers who had been with the company for numerous years. The union believed that increasing the wages of these workers would ultimately result in a higher retention rate and therefore a better on-mountain experience for guests. 

With the group’s most recent contract set to expire at the end of November, the union’s bargaining committee is currently engaged in fresh negotiations with Vail Resorts.

“We started bargaining back in April,” Breckenridge Ski Resort patroller Parker Semin said. “That was the first time we met with the company, and that was the first time that we had proposals go back and forth.”

After submitting their first proposal, Semin claims there was a brief delay in hearing back from Vail Resorts. Eventually however, Vail Resorts presented a counter offer that the two entities have been continuing to work through over the last several weeks.

“After that delay, we kind of transitioned into a long-term contract view, and since then it’s been pretty active,” Semin said. “We are making progress, but I think we still have some points that we are working through with the company.”

In this contract, ski patrollers would like to see wages and benefits that mirror their skill, responsibility and dedication to the mountain. 

“We see ski patrol as a professional career path,” Semin said. “I think both parties kind of view it that way, and with that you need investment in training and retention. That improves safety, improves guest experience and improves company performance.”

“One of the most important things in this process is having good dialogue with them and giving them the opportunity to share their thoughts and wishes,” Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jon Copeland said. “I think for us we are taking this stance of really trying to listen and have really productive dialogue.”

On a weekly basis, Breckenridge ski patrollers have to complete avalanche mitigation work, open up pockets of terrain and respond to medical events. The weight of the job can take a toll, and Semin believes that ski patrollers should be compensated fairly for their jobs.

“I have a ton of respect for this group,” Copeland said. “They are pros at what they do. I value their experience, I value their input. Obviously they are mission-critical to our operation. For me, it is super rewarding to develop relationships, have conversation and see them in action.”

With Vail Resorts’ mission statement reading, “Our mission is to create the experience of a lifetime for our employees, so they, in turn, can create the experience of a lifetime for our guests,” ski patrollers at Breckenridge would like to see additional action that supports that mission.  

“All we are looking for is a respectful wage for a career that requires our process, so many certifications, so much knowledge and our dedication to the local community,” Semin said. “We are looking to get compensated for all of that.”

The two groups had its latest bargaining session on Thursday, Oct. 16, where discussions continued between the two parties. Bargaining and collaboration meetings are expected to continue over the next several weeks.

“We are committed to the collaboration with the company, and we believe that a three-year contract is a potential,” Semin said. “I think it benefits everyone from management to the resort’s long-term success. Our counters are kind of focused on those types of solutions. To make this a career that is available and respected.”

“We have a track record of getting agreements with this group, and I think that is because of the collaboration and the relationships that we have,” Copeland said. “Listening to that group, it could be something as small as a slight tweak to our operations to better it for the guests and the employees.”