Ski patrol strike at largest resort in US results in lengthy traces, closed trails

(Reuters) -Vacation skiers at Utah’s Park Metropolis (NYSE:TRAK), the largest U.S. ski resort, reported on social media that they have been encountering lengthy elevate traces and a few closed trails on Tuesday as a strike by ski patrol staff entered its fifth day.

Almost 200 ski patrol and security staff are on strike over calls for for larger pay at Park Metropolis Mountain Resort, which is owned by Vail Resorts Inc (NYSE:MTN), demanding an entry-level base wage of $23 an hour, up from the present $21, in accordance with an emailed assertion from the ski patrol union.

This week is the busiest ski week of the yr.

Park Metropolis remained open on Tuesday, and most of the ski patrol have been nonetheless working, Vail Resorts mentioned in an emailed assertion. The corporate mentioned it doesn’t disclose staffing figures. Vail Resorts mentioned it’s normal for some trails and lifts to be closed at the moment of yr. That is very true this yr, given the resort has acquired much less snow than within the latest previous.

The union, the Park Metropolis Skilled Ski Patrol, mentioned in its e-mail that there are sometimes 120 folks on patrol, however that on Tuesday there have been between 30 and 35.

The union, in a submit on social media, mentioned Vail Resorts had “flown in scabs” from different resorts to work at Park Metropolis.

Sara Huey, a spokesperson for Vail Resorts, mentioned in an e-mail that the corporate had met 24 of the union’s 27 calls for because the ski patrol’s contract expired in April. She offered no specifics on the calls for the corporate had not met.

Huey mentioned Vail had elevated ski patrol wages by greater than 50% throughout the previous 4 ski seasons, pushing the common hourly wage to over $25.

The 7,300-acre ski resort didn’t promote same-day elevate tickets on Monday, however resumed the same-day tickets on Tuesday, Huey mentioned.

Vail Resorts operates greater than three dozen ski resorts, together with Vail and Breckenridge in Colorado, Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada, and Stowe in Vermont.