The striking Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association and Vail Resorts met in mediation Thursday and had another session scheduled Friday with the two sides apparently inching closer toward an agreement.Vail Resorts offered a counterproposal on wages and benefits Monday evening, the first session since the union began striking last Friday, though union leaders continued to express disappointment. “While we’ve seen progress in some areas of the contract and are happy the company and mediator were willing to meet the past two days, the company’s current wage and benefit proposals do not adequately address the needs of our members,” lead union negotiator Seth Dromgoole said. “I know we haven’t been able to deliver the world-class guest experience we aim to deliver at Park City Mountain over the past few days,” Vail Resorts Mountain Division President Bill Rock said Thursday. “There are a few things at play: early season conditions, weather impacts and, of course, the strike by members of our patrol, which has been really disappointing.” Rock said he was inspired and proud of the employees who have continued to work at the mountain since the strike.Vail Resorts brought in employees from Park City Mountain and other Vail Resorts mountains to fill in for the striking patrollers. The resort has experienced record-low snow up to Christmas Day, though a series of storms has brought snowpack accumulation much closer to average during the holiday peak.On Monday, 13% of terrain was available, and on Friday, 23% of the resort was open with 81 trails and 24 lifts running, resulting in long lines and short tempers throughout the week.“I have so much gratitude for our patrol members for Park City Mountain who are still working, and for those who came into town to support them,” said Rock. “I’m so inspired by their commitment. They have so much pride in keeping them open for employees and guests.” With limited terrain, holiday visitation, and compounding issues with ski patrol on strike, Park City Mountain closed day-pass ticket sales on Monday.“The holidays are one of the most popular times of the year for skiers and snowboarders to visit Park City Mountain. Limiting lift tickets is something we do all season long to preserve the experience for our pass holders. Same-day lift ticket sales were turned off Dec. 30 based on the terrain we had available that day,” said Sara Huey, director of community and government affairs at Vail Resorts.Guests ride the cabriolet up towards the mountain on Friday while strikers demonstrate at the roundabout near the parking lot on Friday. Credit: Clayton Steward/Park RecordOn Tuesday morning, a group of patrol unions across Vail Resorts sent a letter to the CEO, Kirsten Lynch, explaining their concerns and challenges they have faced with the relocation of their leaders to Park City during the strike. They are the Breckenridge Ski Patrol Union, Crested Butte Professional Ski Patrol Association, Keystone Ski Patrol Union and the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association. “Through the company’s tactics of pressuring, coercing and intimidating skilled patrol leaders to travel to Park City to join the ‘Patrol Support Team,’ you caused irreparable harm to both your patrol labor force and patrol management across all affected resorts,” they wrote.“By removing local leadership from their resorts without notice, you failed to provide these patrols proper leadership at the height of the busiest time of the year. This created uncertainty and disruption throughout the patrol teams, amplifying the detrimental effect of what we perceive as a callous disregard for the needs of employees and the teams they have worked tirelessly to build,” the letter said.“In many cases, it has been implied that their careers and livelihoods are at risk if they do not support the company’s demand. The totality of these pressures shake our leaders’ morale, actively undermine their commitment to the company, and erode the trust vital for effective teamwork and leadership. While the immediate consequences of this action may not be visible, the long-term effects will be significant,” the letter said. From Thursday to Friday morning, Vail Resorts stock shares dropped by 6.18%, bottoming at $173.84 at 9:55 a.m before rising to $178.94 by 2 p.m, below the $190.46 that the stock was trading for last week.Discussing the stock price dip, CNBC host Jim Lebenthal said he was angry at Vail Mountain following his holiday trip to Park City Mountain on Thursday’s episode of the “Halftime Report.”“Less than 20 percent of the mountain was open at the peak holiday time. Here’s my point, I’m a little angry at Vail Mountain, and it’s down 6% today and you know why. If you want to be in a travel stock, you’d better give the experience that you’re advertising, because if you don’t you will get negative PR and you will get non-returning customers,” he said on air.On Dec. 18, the Keystone Ski Patrol Union performed a walk-in supporting Park City Mountain’s patrol in the midst of their own contract negotiations with Vail Resorts, having unionized last spring. Other patrol unions, including the ski patrols at Eldora and Loveland, neither owned by Vail, began picketing outside Vail Resorts’ headquarters in Broomfield, Colorado, this week in support of the Park City ski patrol union. “We demand that you immediately cease the practice of pressuring employees to travel to Park City and to cross a picket line. We also ask you to re-evaluate the long-term implications of your actions and work with the patrol teams to develop solutions that respect both the needs of the company and the well-being of your employees,” said the letter from the other patrol unions. The letter urged Vail Resorts to resolve the contract dispute with Park City Mountain’s ski patrol. “This agreement needs to take into account the skyrocketing cost of living in Park City, the immense skill set required to ski patrol at a large western North American ski resort, and the inherent dignity that an employee deserves,” said the letter. In response, Rock said: “I’m really proud of all the investments we’ve made for our employees over the years, and particularly in our patrol. We have deep respect for all of our patrollers. We’re always listening to their concerns and investing to improve their experience. As it relates to the team that’s here in Park City working, these are lifelong professionals, and they’re working with a high degree of pride, and it’s actually inspiring.” Margaux Klingensmith, a business manager for the ski patrol union, wears a pair of union earrings on Friday while picketing at Canyons Village. Credit: Clayton Steward/Park RecordThe latest negotiation session was scheduled for Friday. No others are yet scheduled.“Good news is that we’re back in mediation today, and we’re bargaining in good faith. I’m hopeful that this will be constructive, that we’ll reach an agreement and the strike will end,” Rock said.“Despite the company agreeing to come to the table the last two days, the union is once again deeply disappointed with their inadequate counteroffer, which fails to address most of the critical concerns of PCPSPA’s members,” the Park City ski patrol union said in a statement Wednesday. Vail Resorts leaders have continued to emphasize their satisfaction with their previous compensation proposal, offering a 4% wage increase for experienced patrollers and a $1,600 equipment allowance. While mediation is underway, Rock declined to confirm Vail’s updated proposal.The starting salary for Park City ski patrol is currently $21 an hour, and the union is bargaining for an increase to $23. Deer Valley Resort recently raised its minimum wage to $23.50. Powder Mountain starts patrollers at $26 an hour, and Wasatch Peaks at $24. The post Strikers, Vail Resorts continue mediation with meeting Friday appeared first on Park Record.