SOLITUDE, Utah — Solitude Mountain Resort ski patrollers have ratified their first-ever union contract, marking a major milestone after eight months of negotiations with resort management. The new collective bargaining agreement brings improvements to wages, benefits, and working conditions for the team responsible for skier safety and emergency response on the mountain.

The contract, finalized in May and effective for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 winter seasons, follows the formation of the Solitude Ski Patrol Union (SSPU) in February 2024 and its certification in July that year. Bargaining began in November and remained collaborative throughout, according to both sides.

“We are extremely proud of this contract,” said Robbie Kosinski, a fourth-year ski patroller and member of the SSPU bargaining team. “We have gained industry-leading wages and benefits that acknowledge the difficult and dangerous tasks that ski patrollers face every day.”

Key gains for patrollers

Highlights of the agreement include:

Base wage increase: Starting pay will rise to $24 per hour, with top-level patrollers earning up to $31 per hour—a base wage increase of more than 10% for most patrollers.
Specialist Program: A new initiative to train patrollers in advanced skills, with additional pay of $2.50 per hour per role, and eligibility for up to four specialist roles.
Gear reimbursement: A seasonal $1,300 equipment reimbursement, a 46% increase from previous levels.
Healthcare support: Full-time seasonal patrollers will receive a $100 monthly healthcare stipend and an additional $100 per month for health and wellness.
Training investment: A dedicated $45,000 annual budget for training and development, with a new accountability system to streamline the process.

These improvements come on top of an 8.25% wage increase secured for returning patrollers during the 2024-25 season, which patrollers said further cemented Solitude’s commitment to better compensation and professional growth.

A turning point in mountain labor

The Solitude Ski Patrol Union is among a growing number of ski patrol groups across the country turning to collective bargaining to improve pay and working conditions. While ski patrollers are vital to mountain operations—handling everything from avalanche control to emergency medical care—their wages and benefits have long lagged behind other mountain staff roles.

With this new contract, Solitude’s patrollers join a small but growing cohort of unionized patrol teams in the ski industry that have secured what they call “industry-leading” agreements.

Kosinski credited solidarity and teamwork for the successful outcome.

“By standing together in solidarity, we were able to get some large gains in this contract,” he said.

The new agreement is in place through spring 2027.