Organizers campaigning to unionize ski patrollers are touting their momentum following the settlement of a strike at Utah’s Park City Mountain Resort and a vote last week in favor of forming a union at Arapahoe Basin.
A-Basin patrollers voted to become part of the CWA 7781 United Mountain Workers, which will negotiate a contract with Denver-based Alterra Mountain Company and A-Basin officials. That union is currently negotiating a contract with Keystone which, like Park City, is owned by Vail Resorts. The contract at Breckenridge will expire in the spring.
“We have faced many ups and downs, but we are proud of our team and how much we have accomplished over some trying times,” the Arapahoe Basin union posted on its Instagram account. “This pushed everyone mentally and physically, but in the end we have come together and decided to unionize.”
A-Basin officials responded with a prepared statement.
“We respect the decision made by Arapahoe Basin Ski Patrollers to have the Communication Workers of America (CWA) union represent them,” the statement said. “Our focus remains on supporting our patrol team — and all of our employees — by providing competitive wages, good benefits, a safe working environment and opportunities for professional growth.”
The patrollers at A-Basin had been closely observing the tensions in Utah, where Park City’s patrollers went on strike Dec. 27, 2024. The strike caused significant problems for Broomfield-based Vail Resorts. The employees returned to work last Thursday after winning concessions that included a $2 hourly increase to $23 for new patrollers and $4 for experienced patrollers.
“It does feel like United Mountain Workers is on a winning streak, between an extremely strong contract being won by the patrollers in Park City and winning our unionization vote at A-Basin,” said Max Magill, president of Local 7781, who has been a fulltime patroller at Park City for 10 years. “I hope to see the tone in the ski industry shift a bit from being extremely antagonistic towards unions to being a bit more neutral.
“I don’t think any ski area ownership company wants what just happened in Park City and Vail Resorts. We hope to see a ripple effect in bargaining rooms,” he added.
Magill said he expects similar wage increases at Breckenridge, Keystone and other Vail Resorts properties. Crested Butte’s patrollers’ contract expires next fall.
“We are so excited in Park City to have set a new standard within the industry and within our union of how strong a compensation package can be,” Magill said in an interview. “We are really fortunate in Colorado and throughout our local to have very strong memberships that are willing to fight for the contract they feel they deserve.”
Jack Western, an avalanche dog handler at A-Basin in his eighth season on the patrol, praised his fellow patroller for taking on the challenge to organize in recent months.
“It’s normal for ski patrols to be really tight groups, especially given the nature of the job, but when we’re all standing together to fight for a higher standard at our workplace as well, I don’t think you could find a more caring and committed group of people,” Western said in a written statement furnished by the union. “We love the mountain, we love skiing and all the different intricate parts of our job, and we’re excited to continue to raise our standard for ourselves and for everyone that visits.”