Vail Resorts is in the midst of another negotiation with a ski patrol union, and this time around, the union is calling upon guests to provide written testimony.
The Keystone Ski Patrol Union (KSPU) met with Vail on January 22, 2025 to talk about the company’s latest counter offer to a contract negotiation. In the meeting, Vail told the union that it doesn’t want patrollers to prioritize medical care, and asked for patrollers to transport them off of the mountain, KSPU’s Jake Randall said in a press release.
“Vail Resorts also questioned the importance of patrollers with higher medical certifications, such as nurses and paramedics who can perform advanced lifesaving procedures in the field,” the release said.
The written testimony will be used in negotiations to assert the necessity for a medically trained patrol and a fair wage for the service they provide, Randall said.
Vail Resorts has said otherwise.
“Fact: Keystone Resort is not questioning, nor have we ever questioned, the need or value for patrollers to have advanced medical care skills,” a letter to employees from Keystone VP and General Manager Shannon Buhler says. “We recognize, appreciate, and are proud of the frontline care our patrollers provide to our guests, and our proposal includes individualized skills-based pay for medical certifications.”
According to numbers from the ski patrol union, there were 3,000 guest incidents on the mountain at Keystone last season. Most consisted of medical concerns. New patrollers at Keystone are required to have an EMT certification before working.
“Due to the statements made at negotiations, the KSPU bargaining team believes the company may reduce the patrols’ ability to provide care on the mountain. As a certified EMS agency, the Keystone Ski Patrol would typically receive changes in scope of practice from its Medical Director, which the company did not consult before making these statements,” Randall said.
“This should come as a concern to skiers and riders visiting Keystone, especially given the resort’s branding as a family mountain. One of the company’s seven core values is “be safe”, something that does not align with their recent remarks.”
An aerial view of the Schoolmarm trail during pre-season at Keystone Resort.
Photo: Katie Young, Keystone Resort
The next bargaining session is scheduled for January 30, 2025. Vail Resorts has offered to meet with the union prior to that session to discuss any feedback that lingers from the previous meeting.
“We have an enormous amount of respect for all our Keystone Resort employees, including our ski patrollers, who are an important part of our resort team and the Keystone experience,” the Vail statement says. “We remain committed to a respectful and productive negotiation process aligned to our values and to reaching agreement.”
In the release, Vail states that Keystone will not remove specialty team skills-based pay for patrollers.
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