The Keystone Ski Patrol Union’s members voted on Saturday, Feb. 22, to ratify a new contract with Vail Resorts, according to a news release from the union. The ratification vote comes shortly after a tentative agreement was reached between the two parties after months of negotiation.

The contract is the first negotiated by the union, which came into being in spring 2024, according to the news release. The Keystone Ski Patrol Union represents 81 employees currently.

Keystone Resort confirmed the ratification of the contract.

“In my first season back at Keystone Resort and stepping into my new role as GM, a huge priority of mine has been focusing on operating as a unified team across the resort,” said Keystone Resort general manager and vice president Shannon Buhler in a statement.

“Teamwork is the root and foundation of everything we do here … With that in mind, I am glad that we have a new agreement in place with our ski patrol union. I have a tremendous amount of respect for our patrollers at Keystone and I appreciate the conversations we have had throughout this process that brought us to this point: a contract with base wages that are consistent with our other resorts and skills-based pay that reflects the terrain and avalanche complexity of Keystone Resort,” Buhler stated.

The new contract includes increased compensation for EMT, nursing and paramedic certifications, additional wage incentives for specialized skills, additional training opportunities and wage compression adjustment, the union’s news release states.

“The Union is proud to announce that every member of the Keystone Ski Patrol will receive a pay increase from the implementation of this contract, with significant increases for those in advanced, specialist and team-lead positions,” the union’s news release stated.

The agreement will last through the 2026-2027 ski season.