Bondman;c-67367 wroteI work at a Vail resort. I used to work at a different Vail resort. Different jobs, both "front line" . Most employees are happy campers, doing their best. Very happy with $20/hr starting wage and raises every year.
Are we talking J-1's or US-based staff? Temp foreign labor used to far lower wages at home, doesn't count to me for this example.
Are we talking a mostly unskilled job or one with significant training/responsibility? There's a big difference between getting $20/hr to run the cash register + ski patrol, especially at a Western resort that has even more serious challenges/responsibilities for patrol than in the East.
Is this resort in a market where there's either adequate employee housing through the resort or where there's places with not quite so insane housing prices to live within a normal/easy commuting range? (ex: Killington has Rutland.)
Ski resort jobs were never supposed to pay a "living wage". Especially in a resort town like Park City. I think that the ski patrollers are greedy.
A living wage to live directly in Park City comfortably, is I think excessive - and also not what even their biggest initial demands would have achieved. An adequate wage to live somewhere basic within commuting range of it, is a reasonable expectation for any job.
Many resorts are staffed by volunteers.
Many resorts are not owned by a large publicly traded company that's done especially little to inspire a great deal of goodwill or trust.
I'll also suggest that just as you see with things like Fire/EMS services, that it seems like there's a need for certain roles to become more based on full-time professionals who are more highly trained, experienced, and compensated accordingly, as you get to a larger operation with more complexity.
