Joining a growing list of ski patrol outfits around the country, Jackson Hole Ski Patrol (JHSP) announced on Nov. 20 that it was filing for a union representation election with the National Labor Relations Board. After months of patroller-led organizing, 93% of the 88 patrollers signed the petition to form a union.
In the press release announcing the vote, JHSP referenced the inherent risk that their jobs pose, and the institutional knowledge and skills that make career patrollers so hard to replace. They also mentioned that while Teton County is one of the wealthiest counties in the U.S., it also has one of the highest wealth gaps, making it hard for mountain employees to live near their place of work.
“We are career first-responders doing one of the most dangerous jobs in North America, yet many of us struggle to afford to live in the community we serve,” Tyler Babcock, a 9-year patroller with JHSP, said in a press release. “This is about professionalism and sustainability. Among what we seek is reasonable and equitable compensation.”
For the 2024/25 season, Jackson Hole received the National Ski Area Association’s “Best Overall Safety Program Award.” The patrollers point out that they played an integral part in earning the resort that accolade, and express determination to maintain Jackson Hole’s position as a leader in mountain safety.
“We hope to see the same level of accountability from our resort management that we have for the safety of our guests,” Babcock said. “A union gives us a seat at the table to build a better future for the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol.”
A Growing Wave of Unionized Ski Patrollers
Jackson Hole is far from the first ski patrol outfit to attempt to form a union. In recent years, Arapahoe Basin, Steamboat, Solitude, Keystone, Breckenridge, Park City, Crested Butte, and others have all formed unions — largely for the same reasons. JHSP filed its petition under Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7781, and United Mountain Workers (UMW).
In total, 14 patrol units, as well as Park City and Crested Butte lift maintenance units, have all unionized under United Mountain Workers (UMW), the largest group of ski resort unions in the country.
This wave of ski patrol unions reflects the industry’s struggle to fairly compensate some of the most important workers on the mountain. Not only is the ski patrol’s job essential to keeping resorts in operation, but they are also some of the most dangerous jobs in the industry. Patrollers regularly work with explosives, spend time in avalanche terrain, and put themselves at risk to save others.
Now that JHSP has filed its petition to unionize, an official vote will be scheduled sometime in the future. The patrollers are calling this “the first step towards securing fair compensation, comprehensive benefits, equitable career incentives, and a meaningful voice in operational decisions.”
Read the full article here