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

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

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

This week is the busiest ski week of the 12 months.

Park Metropolis remained open on Tuesday, and most of the ski patrol had been nonetheless working, Vail Resorts stated in an emailed assertion. The corporate stated it doesn’t disclose staffing figures. Vail Resorts stated it’s normal for some trails and lifts to be closed presently of 12 months. That is very true this 12 months, given the resort has obtained much less snow than within the latest previous.

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

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

Sara Huey, a spokesperson for Vail Resorts, stated 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 stated Vail had elevated ski patrol wages by greater than 50% throughout the previous 4 ski seasons, pushing the typical hourly wage to over $25.

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

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.