They want ski runs in powder snow – but instead hundreds of winter holidaymakers see their hard-earned money go up in smoke. In the largest ski resort in the USA, Park City in the state of Utah, a strike by piste workers has been causing monster queues at the lifts for three weeks now.
The background is a bitter dispute over fair wages for employees. But no agreement has yet been reached with the owner of the ski area – Vail Resorts. The result: painfully long waiting times at the lifts, like many Social-Media-Document posts.
Die „New York Post“quotes vacationer Peter Nystrom from Minnesota (USA): “The longest line ever. No excuse. Operational and management errors during the busiest week of the year.”
For weeks, the employees of the slope companies have been demanding more wages – two dollars an hour
19,000 euros wasted on vacation
The holidaymaker’s frustration is entirely understandable: According to reports, he spent $20,000 (almost 19,000 euros) on a winter vacation with his family, only to then wait between two and three hours for the lift. Nystrom is now considering filing a complaint against Vail Resorts to get some of his money back.
He is not alone in this. Another skier’s video showed frustrated snow enthusiasts shouting, “Pay your employees!”
Employees only wanted $2 an hour more. Responsible for the strike and therefore the frustration of thousands of guests: a comparatively measly demand from the employees who are responsible for the slopes and tasks such as avalanche prevention.
As the “New York Times” reports, they are expected to increase their base wage by two as early as September Dollar – from 21 to 23 dollars per hour – have demanded. However, because Vail Resorts failed to meet the demand, employees began striking over the holidays.
The operator said they were satisfied with the “significant investments” made in employees. However, efforts are still being made to reach an agreement.