A year after unionizing, Whitefish ski patrol holds rally to show solidarity

Whitefish Mountain Resort Professional Ski Patrol Union members and supporters held a demonstration on the Whitefish viaduct Saturday morning after passing the one-year mark since patrollers first voted to unionize.  

The union has engaged in contract negotiations with resort leadership since last July, with talks ongoing throughout the current ski season. Patrollers are seeking higher wages and increased benefits through the deal. 

The goal of Saturday’s rally was to “engage the community and to have our greater ski industry examine where their values lie,” said David Kerner, vice president for the union and a fifth-year ski patroller who lives in Whitefish with his family. 

“We’ve seen a lot of representation for our federal workforce lately,” Kerner said. “We would love to have a voice as well. We are working and fighting for our ability to sustain a livelihood here in the valley.”  

Patrollers and resort management both said that negotiations have been approached in an independent way, drawing distance from corporate ski groups that have seen criticism in response to ski patrol union strikes. 

“We’re not members of a centralized management team handling this from a distance,” said Nick Polumbus, CEO of Whitefish Mountain Resort. “It’s four senior managers who are present here day in and day out, sitting down regularly with a group of employees and talking through important topics.”  

In February 2024, 77% of Whitefish’s 31 ski patrollers signed a petition to unionize. By March, 96% of eligible employees were in favor of unionizing, according to the union. They first met with resort management in July and over a dozen collective bargaining sessions have been held since.  

Since December, the parties have restructured their meeting schedules to occur every two or three weeks in the evening hours rather than during the workday, making it more efficient for members to participate.  

At least 12 articles of the contract have been signed, including an increase in gear allowance and a 3% increase in compensation for returning staff.  

Crucial financial articles regarding base wages, benefits and training have yet to be agreed upon.  

“It’s been a lot of back and forth with those items,” Kerner said, noting that much of the staff, himself included, make $20 an hour or less.  

County-wide living wage statistics have been used to inform base wage countering in recent meetings. Kerner said county-wide numbers do not fully consider the higher cost of living closer to Whitefish or the cost of commuting, nor does it accurately represent employees with dependents.  

Another factor affecting negotiations is the increased demand on the ski slopes, Kerner said. 

“About eight years ago, on a typical weekday, it wasn’t uncommon to go the full work week, Monday through Friday, without a single call,” Kerner said. “Now, we have patrollers arriving at 6:45 in the morning, running control routes, and responding to four to six calls on a powder day or high-volume weekend day.” 

Kerner noted that four ski patrollers are out for the season due to injury. 

“Our capacity to perform duties is down. It’s just taxing on everyone ... and it trickles down to the community,” Kerner said. 

Polumbus said negotiations are a “long and involved process,” but that the resort has followed a similar timeline as those at other independent resorts. 

As a first contract, diligence for every detail makes the process longer, Polumbus said.  

“We have to ensure we don’t inadvertently miss something that could have unintended consequences down the road for any of our employees,” Polumbus said. “The bones of this contract could be in place long after any of the parties at the table are employed at the resort.  

“We believe we are in the home stretch and look forward to reaching an amicable resolution and a future that delivers the best possible outcomes for all our employees." 

Max Herrington and Linden Wyatt hold signs on the viaduct in Whitefish during a union rally Saturday morning. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)

    Whitefish Mountain Resort Professional Ski Patrol Union and supporters held a rally Saturday morning on the viaduct. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)
  

    Whitefish Mountain Resort Professional Ski Patrol Union and supporters held a rally Saturday morning on the viaduct. (Kelsey Evans/Whitefish Pilot)