The Park City Mountain ski patrol union and Vail Resorts negotiators had met six times over the past week and half by Tuesday, the 12th day of the strike, with promise through mediation but no resolution of the contract dispute.Meantime, the holiday crowds had dissipated and the ski mountain terrain was up to 30% open with 26 of 41 lifts spinning and 104 of 350 trails open. “We are meeting with the union nearly every day and working hard to reach an agreement, with both parties negotiating in good faith,” Bill Rock, president of the mountain division at Vail Resorts, said Tuesday. “We remain committed to safely operating Park City Mountain for our guests and employees, and this week lift lines have been under 10 minutes on average.”Meantime, the picketers moving into the second week of their strike expressed high morale buoyed by community support.“We have been overwhelmed and very touched by the support the community has been offering. They are really helping us stay strong,” said second-year patroller Jonah Sternthal.“We feel that the company wants to wait us out and make an example of us. It does not seem to be about money anymore,” said Alana McClements, a third-year patroller. “Still, it’s day 12 of the strike, and morale remains high. We’re seeing community support every day. Folks come by with food and coffee for us. Honking their horns, supporting us, and we’re feeling really good about the mission.”Park City ski patrollers picket outside of Cole Sport on Tuesday. Ski patrols from across Vail Resorts have provided letters and actions of support, including demonstrations by the Keystone and Breckenridge ski patrols. Credit: Klara Meyer/Park RecordHaving reached tentative agreements on 24 of the 27 contract articles by Dec. 14, the focuse is on the final three, which concern wages and benefits. The union outlined their wage priorities on Dec. 14, aiming to keep wages in step with inflation by an increased base pay to $23 an hour, though these values are ever changing throughout negotiations. On Monday, Deirdra Walsh, vice president and COO of Park City Mountain, released a statement regarding the current atmosphere of upset surrounding Vail Resorts employees and public backlash. “People have asked, ‘Can’t you just pay patrol $2/hour more?’ It’s never been about 2 dollars. There’s a lot of misinformation surrounding these negotiations,” said Walsh. According to Walsh, the union’s wage demands averaged out to a $7/hour increase per patroller at the time of the strike, not including benefits. According to Vail Resorts, the average entry-level patrol wage is currently $22.40, with overall patrol wages averaging to $25/hour.Union Business Manager Quinn Graves said, “$7 is not something we have asked for at all. That number was new to us. As we have said, we are asking for a $2 increase to our base wages.” Tensions have been high on the mountain at Park City Mountain in the past few weeks, while the ski area experienced peak occupancy with holiday crowds. In the past two weeks, terrain availability ranged from a low shortly after the strike began of 13% to 30% by Tuesday morning. “Nobody wins in a strike,” said Walsh. “Please be kind to the people who are working so hard to keep the mountain open.”Nearly four and a half feet of snow have fallen at Park City Mountain since Christmas Day, following what had been a 30-low snowfall to date Christmas Eve.Public backlash has come for Vail Resorts about lift delays, lack of open terrain and the patrol strike and its effects. Mayor Nann Worel spoke out Monday on behalf of the Park City Council.“The Park City Council and I recognize that resort communities face significant livability challenges — and it is the workforce that all too often shoulders the weight of today’s economic pressures. Supporting a professional workforce is essential to the health, safety, and vitality of our town,” she wrote in a statement.“After yet another weekend of confusion and disruption due to the unresolved labor dispute at Park City Mountain, the City Council and I urgently call on Vail Resorts to take immediate action to conclude negotiations and end the uncertainty. Park City Mountain is a cornerstone of Park City’s community well-being, and it is Vail Resorts’ responsibility as an essential employer to resolve this conflict without further delay.”“As we stand by ready to assist in any way necessary to help bring this matter to a resolution, we humbly ask everyone for civility and respectful behavior toward each other during this challenging time,” she added.While the strikers have been picketing for nearly two weeks, the strike fund GoFundMe had raised nearly $300,000 by Tuesday afternoon to distribute to patrollers while they are not working. Starting on day 15 of the strike, the Communications Workers of America will also provide $300 a week to striking patrollers.Mediation was scheduled for Monday and Tuesday this week, with none yet planned for the future. “We remain committed to reaching an agreement that demonstrates our respect for them,” said Walsh. “That is progress towards an agreement. And when this ends, we will move forward together because that is who we are as a team.”“Our priorities remain the same, to secure a contract with a better wage and benefit package that incentivizes patrollers and mountain safety personnel to stay at this job for a while, and especially to compensate those people who’ve made this their career and bring so much value to the company and provide a safe guest experience,” said Graves. Fourth-year ski patroller Quinn Graves holds a “Honk 4 Solidarity” sign during a demonstration by the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association on Nov. 23, 2024, prior to the strike beginning. Credit: Park Record file photo by Clayton Steward“We’re all really wanting to get back to work. We miss our jobs. We miss our supervisors who are up on the mountain making things run right now,” said Graves. “The union made the choice to walk out after just the first session because they knew that is when it would impact the experience most. We never walked away. By choosing to strike during the peak holiday, the union hurt their fellow employees, skiers and snowboarders, and their neighbors,” Walsh said on Monday.“I think this (statement from Walsh) just shows that the company has and continues to force our hand in this strike and continues to delay while we’re ready to get back to work as soon as possible,” Graves said Tuesday. “The reason we’re on strike is not just because negotiations have taken so long, but because the company has and continues to commit unfair labor practices.”The post Negotiations pick up between Vail Resorts and the Park City ski patrol union appeared first on Park Record.