Ski industry labor movements have found new recruits. Ski instructors at Beaver Creek, represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) filed a petition last week with the National Labor Relations Board to consider unionization.
Hearings for the vote begin this Thursday. An email sent by union spokesman Al Kogler stated that over 30 percent of eligible instructors had signed the petition, clearing the minimum number needed for a vote.
Beaver Creek ski instructors will join the ranks of over 600,000 workers in "communications, media, airlines, manufacturing, public service, snow sports and healthcare," the email said.
The process began in October. "This business is inherently dangerous, and they're shooting their wounded," Kogler said at the time. "They put their lives on hold for months to provide a great and safe guest experience."
Vail responded by saying that its employees are treated with respect. "We place the highest value on the employee experience at Beaver Creek and work diligently to ensure that we treat all of our employees fairly and with respect," senior director of skier services Fred Rumford said in October. "We value and incorporate all of the feedback that we receive from our employees as evident by the many initiatives we've undertaken on wages, benefits and other employment perks in recent years."
Vail Resorts has undergone a huge expansion as of late. The company now owns nine subsidiaries, including, most recently, a mountain outside of Chicago and the newly merged Park City and Canyons Resorts.
Kogler and the CWA have been increasingly looking for ski areas to grow their ranks. Other professionals to unionize recently include ski patrols, a few of which (Telluride, Park City) have had successful union votes in the past year.
"Our core motivation is to ensure that we have a seat at the table with Vail Resorts in regard to shaping our work conditions. In recent years, ever-shifting work rules and a lack of transparency on issues - including wages, work assignments, workman's comp, training remuneration and access to child care - have made it challenging for Beaver Creek visitor,"stated a collective email from instructors eager to organize. "By organizing as a union, we wil have a stronger involvement in our own working conditions. We also will have the ability to ultimately strengthen the wages, training and certifications that promote the professional status of Beaver Creek's instructional corps."
