VAIL SUCKS

[crystalmountainskier]

A stipend for the months they are working. That's not year round health benefits.

Vail just came out with a statement saying all of the union's demands work out to $7 an hour additional.

 

[AdironRider]

If you can point to a news story that verifies that, I'm all ears, but that is not how it has been presented to date in reference to health insurance.

Nevermind a stipend is just an end around for higher comp. You can't force someone to spend that on health insurance, and very few will in reality.

 

[thetrailboss]

A stipend for the months they are working. That's not year round health benefits.

Vail just came out with a statement saying all of the union's demands work out to $7 an hour additional.

My understanding was a stipend for months that they were not working. The argument was that getting health care in the off-season was a problem since they are seasonal employees. So they were asking to either be carried on the health plan over the summer or to get a stipend to do COBRA.

Park City Ski Patrol Union sheds light on negotiation terms - TownLift, Park City News

As the strike continues TownLift gets more details about what the union is fighting for in addition to a $2 per hour wage increase

townlift.com

The union is also advocating for improved benefits, including more accessible healthcare options, holiday pay, and a more attractive overall benefits package to retain and attract skilled patrollers. One proposed solution is offering healthcare stipends to allow patrollers to maintain year-round coverage without switching providers every six months.

 

[kingslug]

What do other mtns do for their patrollers?

 

[jimmywilson69]

nothing because its not meant to be a "career" I recognize out west its a lot different than in the east, but the reality is that ski patrollers have always just been more legit ski bums. If you rise through the ranks and have a higher position then yes you can become a full time employee and the benefits that come with it. I'm sure Park City has more than a few of these folks, but for the others, its never been meant to be a career.

Its a weird spot because they are essentially an EMT and have even more training requirements if you are working with the explosives. You obviously want employee retention, but to provide benefits beyond the season isn't realistic.

 

[crystalmountainskier]

It should be 100% clear by now that Vail isn't rolling. It would absolutely cripple any seasonal business to pay for full benefits coverage for thousands of seasonal employees. And yes thousands, because if you think Ski Patrol would be the only ones getting it if Vail caves....

This is going to be an impasse (preferable for Vail at this point) or the union is going to cave eventually. They'll say they "won" when they get an extra buck an hour but they will have lost the war.

Yeah they are, via a stipend. I've already linked news articles about that in this thread.

My understanding was a stipend for months that they were not working. The argument was that getting health care in the off-season was a problem since they are seasonal employees. So they were asking to either be carried on the health plan over the summer or to get a stipend to do COBRA.

Park City Ski Patrol Union sheds light on negotiation terms - TownLift, Park City News

As the strike continues TownLift gets more details about what the union is fighting for in addition to a $2 per hour wage increase

townlift.com

I talked to a patroller. They don't want Vail's health insurance because it only lasts 5 months and then they have to get their own plan the other 7 months with a fresh out of pocket maximum. Instead they want Vail to pay a stipend for the months they are working so they can use that toward Obamacare or other health insurance they can hold all year.

 

[ThatGuy]

I talked to a patroller. They don't want Vail's health insurance because it only lasts 5 months and then they have to get their own plan the other 7 months with a fresh out of pocket maximum. Instead they want Vail to pay a stipend for the months they are working so they can use that toward Obamacare or other health insurance they can hold all year.

They can easily work over the summer for Vail or accept that theyre adults and have to deal with how the world works. Also if its so much better at the other resorts they can apply to work there. If they’re such skilled laborers it should be easy.

 

[Smellytele]

They can easily work over the summer for Vail or accept that theyre adults and have to deal with how the world works. Also if its so much better at the other resorts they can apply to work there. If they’re such skilled laborers it should be easy.

They want ski patrollers everywhere to have the same benefits but they are fighting a battle and chose to have Vail be the enemy to start.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

lol. lee foss is a pretty major international dj. he did a pop-up on vail during the ski day last weekend. looks truly unannounced, theres no one there but a handful of random skiers/tourists.

Lee Foss on Instagram: "I had the best time dropping bombs at the most beautiful venue possible at an unnanounced pop up on top of @vailmtn on Friday!! Sometimes those surprises are most fun way to share music. May have gotten stuck in waist deep pow

1,938 likes, 81 comments - leefoss on January 6, 2025: "I had the best time dropping bombs at the most beautiful venue possible at an unnanounced pop up on top of @vailmtn on Friday!! Sometimes those surprises are most fun way to share music. May have gotten stuck in waist deep powder off...

www.instagram.com

 

[thetrailboss]

lol. lee foss is a pretty major international dj. he did a pop-up on vail during the ski day last weekend. looks truly unannounced, theres no one there but a handful of random skiers/tourists.

Lee Foss on Instagram: "I had the best time dropping bombs at the most beautiful venue possible at an unnanounced pop up on top of @vailmtn on Friday!! Sometimes those surprises are most fun way to share music. May have gotten stuck in waist deep pow

1,938 likes, 81 comments - leefoss on January 6, 2025: "I had the best time dropping bombs at the most beautiful venue possible at an unnanounced pop up on top of @vailmtn on Friday!! Sometimes those surprises are most fun way to share music. May have gotten stuck in waist deep powder off...

www.instagram.com

“That’s right. He’s one of my homies, just like Wyclef Jean! Maybe you all would have seen that my boy Lee Foss was throwing down the beats if you all weren’t too busy Vail bashing all last week!!!”

 

[thetrailboss]

Apologies in advance— another half-baked article from my local Fox affiliate. But the point is that local businesses are starting to get worried.

'It could hurt Park City;' Will ski patrol strike crush local business?

It’s been 10 days since the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association went on strike for unfair labor practices, and since then, businesses say they've noticed the impact it's having on customers

www.fox13now.com

 

[Cheetah440]

It has been 11 days since I went to Sunapee and I would like to note that they have not added a single upper mountain trail to the lineup since I was there.

Absolutely pathetic.

Yeah but you have an epic pass!!!! For
$299 you can ski Sunapee every day all winter!!!!!! And you can go to Stowe too!!!! And go to vail and Breck all for free!!!!
Epic!

 

[thetrailboss]

A story from the NBC Nightly News:

 

[BenedictGomez]

You obviously want employee retention, but to provide benefits beyond the season isn't realistic.

It's actually worse than just a few bucks more an hour, healthcare pay, and holiday pay, etc.... They're also demanding maternal OR paternal leave. Can you imagine 3 months full-time paid paternal leave on a 4 month job! Guess how many people would "family plan" to knock up their wives during February, March, or April. It's a ridiculous ask for a seasonal job.

 

[zyk]

It's actually worse than just a few bucks more an hour, healthcare pay, and holiday pay, etc.... They're also demanding maternal OR paternal leave. Can you imagine 3 months full-time paid paternal leave on a 4 month job! Guess how many people would "family plan" to knock up their wives during February, March, or April. It's a ridiculous ask for a seasonal job.

So my opinion might be a bit different. Give up the benefits and just go for $60 an hour or more. These people work in harsh conditions, need to be emt trained, evac trained, av control trained, etc.

 

[Edd]

A story from the NBC Nightly News:

LOL on those lift lines. Great marketing for the Park City experience.

 

[jimmywilson69]

So my opinion might be a bit different. Give up the benefits and just go for $60 an hour or more. These people work in harsh conditions, need to be emt trained, evac trained, av control trained, etc.

I have college educated engineers with 15 years experience making that much money. There is zero chance that anyone other than high level supervisors are making that much in the ski industry. I bet just about every GM in the east makes way less than that and probably most out west too.

 

[LonghornSkier]

I have college educated engineers with 15 years experience making that much money. There is zero chance that anyone other than high level supervisors are making that much in the ski industry. I bet just about every GM in the east makes way less than that and probably most out west too.

No wonder the ski industry has issues if ski area GMs are making ~$120-125k.

 

[Smellytele]

It's actually worse than just a few bucks more an hour, healthcare pay, and holiday pay, etc.... They're also demanding maternal OR paternal leave. Can you imagine 3 months full-time paid paternal leave on a 4 month job! Guess how many people would "family plan" to knock up their wives during February, March, or April. It's a ridiculous ask for a seasonal job.

Vail itself is saying it averages out to about $7/hr more.

 

[kingslug]

Whats the alternative?
Fire them all and start over...replacing 200 employees?
Has to be a middle ground somewhere.