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John Hollenhorst ReportingMembers of a labor union have voted to authorize a potential strike at a big Utah ski resort. And it's a category of workers you probably never would have imagined even has a labor union.
Somehow the words "ski patrol" and "labor union" just don't seem like they belong in the same sentence. Ski patrol and fun, maybe. But make no mistake: being on the ski patrol is a serious job that a resort would be hard pressed to do without if there ever really was a strike.
They're the traffic cops of the ski slopes; the ones who keep skiers behaving right, in the right places, the first on the scene when a skier bangs up a leg. And yes, they have a union, at only one Utah resort, The Canyons.
Kent Anderson, Communications Workers of America: "The employees have voted 'yes' and they're willing to go on strike."
Seven years ago, the ski patrol at The Canyons organized, oddly enough, under the Communications Workers of America.
Kent Anderson: "My first impression was they were just ski bums. But they're not ski bums. They're ski professionals. And they can do everything that's required of them....they're excellent skiers. They know first aid. They set charges for avalanche control."
At The Canyons their contract has expired.
Elizabeth Dowd, Spokeswoman, The Canyons: "We have been in negotiations since the fall with our ski patrol. It's a typical process, it usually happens on an annual basis, they just renew their contract, so that's what's going on right now."
Union officials acknowledge that the strike authorization vote is largely a negotiating tactic.
Kent Anderson: "The company wasn't willing to come to the table before Christmas and get a deal. They would still be dragging their feet. So, it's a show of unity by the unit."
Elizabeth Dowd: "We're covering every base, from pay scale to health care to everything. And we do understand that the ski patrol is one of the essential groups on the mountain that helps it run."
Both sides say they're confident the discussions will keep the ski patrol in action.
Kent Anderson: "I think they'll bargain a deal."
Elizabeth Dowd: "We're all confident that things are going to be assessed out in the next couple of days and we'll all be sitting pretty. Everyone."
We're told by a union official that starting pay is about eight-and-a-half dollars an hour, with top pay around 19.
The ski resort says such details, and the proposals on the table are being kept confidential.
