Rich skiers hit luxury resorts for $20K vacations crippled by 3-hour lines and labor strikes

Slippery slope ahead.

Guests at a Utah ski resort were outraged after their memorable trips were marred by three-hour waits at ski lifts caused by an ongoing workers’ strike.

The strikes occurred at Park City – the largest ski resort in the US – after the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association (PCPSPA) demanded that the ski mountain’s owner, Vail Resorts, pay employees a living wage, Powder reported .com.

Now in their third week, the strikes have reached a fever pitch.

While Vail representatives assured skiers that the resort was “open and operating safely despite the patrol union strike,” visitors reportedly noticed monumental delays when trying to hit the slopes.

Peter Nystrom of Minnesota reportedly spent $20,000 to visit Park City with his family, only to wait 2-3 hours for an elevator.

“Longest lines ever. No excuses. Operational and managerial failure during the busiest week of the year,” he said. “At least discount those who bought lift tickets while the strike was going on!”

An accompanying photo showed a Disneyland-shaped line of frustrated skiers waiting to be transported up the mountain.

In a follow-up post, Nystrom claimed he planned to “file formal complaints/requests for refunds” from Vail Resorts and also file a lawsuit against them.

Another video, shared by pro-free skier Dave Amirault, shows dozens of skiers chanting “pay your employees” as they wait for the King Con lift at the resort.

“We chose to ski over Christmas and we had other options, but we won’t do it again,” vacationer Amy Clinkenbeard told Town Lift Park City News as she lamented her missed vacation, which cost her family $10,000. dollars.

“The amount of money spent not skiing is unimaginable,” she added. “It’s going to hurt the whole community.”

Ski patrollers — who perform tasks ranging from trail clearing to avalanche prevention — had reportedly proposed a $2 increase in their hourly base pay, from $21 to $23, the New York Times reported. They floated the idea in September in hopes they could reach a deal in the winter ski season, but Vail neglected to agree, prompting them to strike over the holidays.

However, Vail brass believes they are paying said employee more than their fair share.

“We are proud of the significant investments we have made in all of our employees, including patrolling, which have far outpaced inflation,” Bill Rock, president of Vail Resorts’ Mountain Division, said in a statement Friday. “However, we remain committed to reaching an agreement that shows the great respect we have for our patrolmen.”

PCPSPA even set up a GoFundMe to help raise donations for their strike fund. It has raised over $250,000 as of January 6.