Purgatory Resort and its ski patrol team have come to an agreement about wage negotiations after the safety team decided to unionize last winter.
The two parties have mutually agreed on a contract that was finalized on Nov. 22 and will last through April 30, 2024.
Ski patrol staff members voted 93% in favor of unionizing last winter after witnessing other patrols at Big Sky, Breckenridge and Park City receive better pay as a result.
“We are bound by the National Labor Relations Act and bargained in good faith. The contract terms give patrollers a clear understanding of what each additional certification or skill will be valued at moving forward and the annual return rate with each additional season,” said Purgatory Resort General Manager Dave Rathbun.
Neither Purgatory management nor ski patrol would comment on the exact wage increase ski patrol received. Purgatory does not publish wages as part of company policy.
“We believe that this contract is a great starting point and steppingstone to future contracts and the betterment of our Ski Patrol team. We also hope that our efforts make a difference for all employees of the resort and that employees as a whole are valued at a higher level,” said the Purgatory Professional Patrol Union representative team in an email last Friday.
According to the union, the agreement includes an increase in starting wages for ski patrol and patrollers have additional incentives to increase an individual’s pay rate based on the person’s experience and certifications, something patrollers had taken issue with previously.
Along with increased wages, ski patrol also received new uniforms, radio systems and better gear stipends this year as part of the bargaining process. However, no specifications were given for gear stipends.
In a Durango Herald article published on Aug. 2, a Purgatory union representative said the average Purgatory ski patroller made $15 per hour while patroller-paramedics with blasting certifications make $19 per hour before the wage negotiations in August.
The Purgatory Professional Patrol Union representative team said this has led to a larger full-time staff and has incentivized patrollers to seek continuing education to increase their pay rate.
The union is hopeful the upgrades will lead to a more experienced team and higher retention rate.
“It is our hope that MCP will continue to follow through on the obligations of the contract. We believe they will uphold their end of the agreement and make decisions in the context of the agreement, rather than counter to it. We also hope to increase communication with upper management at the resort to ensure a safe experience for our guests and employees,” the email also said. “Overall we believe that it was the right decision to unionize. It has allowed us to have a voice, advocate for ourselves and to better serve our guests.”
Rathbun said the negotiation process encouraged positive communication between a greater number of ski patrol employees, and both parties felt their voices were heard.
Purgatory Bike Patrol also voted to unionize in September, making it the first bike patrol unit in the United States to do so. The two parties have not scheduled a time to start negotiations yet, but resort management is planning to set a date in early 2023.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
