Ski patrol union frustrated with negotiation timeline

Contract negotiations between the recently formed Whitefish Mountain Resort ski patrol union and resort executives remained unfinished as the ski season opened Thursday, with the union president saying that a mid-season picket or strike could be on table if talks don’t move forward.

Whitefish Mountain Resort Professional Ski Patrol filed a petition in February with the National Labor Relations Board to unionize under the United Professional Ski Patrols of America. The union represents more than 700 members across nine ski resorts. 

Of the 31 ski patrollers staffed last season, 71% supported unionizing with the goals of increased compensation, expanding the yearly gear allowance, creating opportunities for continuing education, health care stipends and paid time off. In March, the union workers voted on Communications Workers of America to stand as their bargaining unit.   

Patrol members assumed negotiations would be finished ahead of the ski season, but union president Jamie Burkholder said resort executives have made scheduling bargaining meetings complicated.   

“It sounds like the president of the company has expressed in numerous meetings that it's going to take a long time, which I think essentially means they're dragging their feet,” said Burkholder, who has patrolled at the resort for nearly a decade.   

“We had this entire summer when there was very little happening for the company, and now that ski season is starting, they are saying they’re busy. It’s frustrating, but we’re working on it." 

The union initially asked to meet in May, but the resort put that first meeting off until July, Burkholder said. They refused to meet for a second meeting until the end of September, he said.   

According to Whitefish Mountain Resort president Nick Polumbus, the resort planned on beginning negotiations in mid to late May, with a subsequent meeting every month. Due to “back and forth with calendars” and a union scheduling conflict for a June meeting, the first meeting ended up being in July, he said.    

“Scheduling these sessions takes a lot of work on both the mountain’s side and the patroller’s side,” Polumbus said.   

He said it's the resort's intention to offer its employees a positive workplace, including those in the union.   

“Obviously there are limits, but... I would say that we are actually exceeding some industry standards when it comes to patrol, and in some ways our research would show that we were behind some of those standards,” Polumbus said. “We want to get to a fair spot.”  

In the meantime, patrollers enter the season under the same compensation and work conditions as previous winters. 

“.. Unfortunately, we are essentially maintaining the status quo this year while working on bargaining the contract,” Burkholder said. 

The base wage for a patroller at the resort is $18 per hour, with a gear allowance of $750 every three seasons. The resort provides a jacket, but all other gear comes out of the patroller’s own pocket, including skis, boots, helmet, pants and backpack. Professional development and training are paid for through the philanthropic Patrol Fund or the patroller's own pocket. 

Whitefish Mountain Resort did increase returning staff’s compensation by 3%, Polumbus said.  

“I just think it's important that folks know that all our staff feel motivated and engaged and excited to come to work every day. Our staff is 650 people spread across 50 departments, so we’re looking out for a lot of folks here. That takes a lot of energy,” Polumbus said.  

Burkholder warned that the slow pace of negotiations has set off frustrations. 

“We don't have anything currently preventing us from [picketing or striking],” Burkholder said. “The company tried to have us sign off on an article that would have prevented us from talking about anything happening here... but involving local community is a major factor for companies like that to play a fair game.”   

Polumbus confirmed the resort attempted to put an agreement in place where the two parties would agree on how to speak about the negotiations as they progress. That agreement falling through is not of great concern for the resort, he said.   

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at 758-4459 or kheston@dailyinterlake.com.