Faced with a revolt caused by staff shortages at many of its North American mountains this ski season, Vail Resorts has announced hourly wage increases and other measures designed to improve conditions for employees at its 37 resorts beginning next ski season.
The minimum wage will be increased to $20, a $5 increase. The wage for entry-level ski patrollers and maintenance techs will increase to $21.
In a letter to employees, chief executive Kirsten Lynch said the Broomfield-based company also will increase HR support for employees by hiring 66 new positions in HR services, an increase of nearly 50%, and pledged to accelerate efforts to assist workers with affordable housing in expensive mountain communities.
“We plan to aggressively pursue building new affordable housing on the land we own, and pursue company leases in existing affordable housing developments, so we can make housing more accessible and affordable for our employees,” Lynch wrote.
Jeremy Rubingh, who launched a petition on change.org called “Hold Vail Resorts Accountable” that generated more than 45,000 sign-ups since late December, said the company’s move represented progress.