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Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association strike receives support from Summit County picket

The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association went on strike starting Friday, Dec. 27. The union, based in Park City, Utah, posted on its Facebook page Friday its reasons for the strike, including accusations of “bad faith tactics” by Vail Resorts and refusal “to give a counteroffer on wages or benefits.”

“We did everything in our power to avoid this work stoppage. Our goal has been and continues to be to secure a fair contract,” the post states.

Park City Mountain representatives released a statement announcing plans for the resort to remain open despite the work stoppage.



“Despite the union’s actions Park City Mountain will remain open with safety as our top priority,” Deirdra Walsh, vice president and COO of Park City Mountain, said in a statement to the Salt Lake Tribune. She added that “all planned terrain will be open, thanks to patrol leaders from Park City Mountain and our other mountain resorts.”

The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association has received support for its strike in Summit County in the form of a picket that took place on Friday, Dec. 27, at Epic Mountain Gear in Frisco.



An Instagram post by the Keystone Ski Patrol Union that has since been removed announced the picket and encouraged community members to join for the scheduled two-hour protest. According to the post, the Keystone Ski Patrol Union was not involved in organizing the picket.

Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association representative Margaux Klingensmith said in an email that the Park City union was notified of the supportive picket being held in Summit County.

“We were aware that this picket was happening, the organizer reached out to make sure their messaging was in line with our goals. A concerned member of the ski community organized this picket in solidarity with PCPSPA’s ULP Strike,” Klingensmith said.

“We are aware that between five and seven people gathered in front of the Epic Mountain Gear store yesterday in connection to the Park City ski patrol union’s drastic decision to walk out of mediation and strike during the holiday season. We have invested significantly in all employees, with Park City Mountain patrol wages increasing more than 50% over the past four seasons, and we have reached agreements on 24 of the 27 current contract terms,” Nadia Guerriero, senior vice president and chief operating officer for the Rocky Mountain Region of Vail Resorts said in a statement.

The Summit Daily News has been unable to independently verify the number of people present at the picket on Friday.


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