Ski patrol workers from Park City Mountain Resorts are on strike against Vail Resorts. The strike is halting operations in one of the biggest ski areas in the US. Some disgruntled vacationers blamed the workers instead of management.
Because of the strike, only 103 of the 350 trails of Park City Mountain Resorts were open. The ski patrollers may be the ones on strike, but every other operation has been impeded. A protestor coined the term “Bail on Vail” as they continue to negotiate a $23 hourly wage from $21. It’s a small price to pay for workers, whose job insures the safety of the resort’s clientele.
Many vacationers vented their outrage online. One of these skiers sarcastically wrote, “Thanks Park City, @VailResorts, and the striking ski patrol. Really creating a fun and safe environment.” He also blamed the ski patrol on strike for being “privileged babies” for opting to protest.
That aggressive sentiment against workers did not sit well with many X users. One replied, “Imagine skiing during the most expensive time of the year and being mad at ski patrollers striking for $23/hr.” Another X user scoffed, thinking that this was just another episode of “rich people inconvenienced.”
According to one of the union’s business managers, it would only cost Vail Resorts an additional $900,000 a year. This doesn’t seem to be a large sum for Vail Resorts, which had a net income of $268.1 million in 2023.
The sunk cost is evident
Although there were a few people online misdirecting their anger at the workers, other vacationers were frustrated at how Vail Resorts management handled the strike. One tweet mentions that this was a “complete PR disaster” for Vail Resorts. He pointed out that instead of paying workers fairly, the management chose 3-hour lift lines for skiers instead. The sunk cost couldn’t be any clearer. While there is yet to be a resolution to the issue, these striking ski patrollers have cooked up a storm that Vail Resorts will have to eventually address.
Published: Jan 6, 2025 04:29 pm