Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s vaunted 86-member ski patrol team navigates some of the most treacherous terrain in the world, responding to medical emergencies on the slopes and routinely detonating powerful explosives to control backcountry avalanches.
However, in Teton County, the wealthiest county in the United States, patrollers, who are paid a starting wage of $23 per hour, struggle to locate affordable housing despite their highly developed skills.
“We love our jobs,” said Billy Robinson, who has been a patroller for four seasons. "It’s disappointing we can’t afford to live in the community we serve.”
It is amid that dire backdrop that the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol has petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for a vote to unionize.
The petition, which has been months in the making and is backed by 93% of patrollers, is the first step toward joining the United Mountain Workers union, which is affiliated with Communications Workers of America Local 7781.
UMW represents 1,100 ski and bike patrollers, lift operators, and electricians at 16 resorts in Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Washington.
Jackson Hole Ski Patrol members are seeking equitable pay and benefits, and a voice in operational decisions by their employer, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
“We are looking for our job to be taken more seriously (by the resort),” Tyler Babcock, a patroller for nine seasons, said. “It’s a dangerous profession that we enjoy and want to be sustainable.”
Ned Wonson, vice president of marketing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, said the resort is committed to working toward an equitable solution for patrollers.
“We care deeply about every member of our team, and we value the important role ski patrol plays at our resort,” he said in an email on Tuesday. “We are committed to listening, engaging respectfully, and continuing open dialogue. Our focus is to work together toward an outcome that supports our employees and the exceptional experience we strive to create for our guests and our mountain community.”
Cost Of Living Concerns
Jackson Hole patrollers hope to build on the resort’s reputation as having the Best Overall Safety Program in the 2024-2025 season, according to the National Ski Areas Association.
Patrollers have a wide variety of duties, including providing emergency medical services, repairing fences, and installing barricades. They are also certified by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to handle explosives for avalanche mitigation but don’t receive hazard pay.
“We jokingly refer to ourselves as ranch hands,” said Babcock. “It’s a hard pill to swallow because we are asked to do things like rope rescues and toboggan runs through some of the most challenging terrain in the world. It’s a highly skilled position that deserves high pay.”
Employees at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort received a 2.7% across-the-board pay raise earlier this summer, boosting the starting pay for patrollers from $21 to $23 per hour.
But that increase doesn’t go far in Teton County, where the per capita income totaled more than $471,000 in 2024.
On top of that, the lengthy commute time for patrollers, most of whom live in neighboring Idaho because they can’t afford Jackson Hole housing prices, is draining.
On a good day, it can take them an hour to drive to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. However, in bad weather when Teton Pass is closed, the trip can take up to four hours one way, Babcock said. “It's easier to stomach those hardships if you are properly compensated, he added.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort's nearly 90 ski patrollers in ultra-wealthy Teton County are pushing for a vote to unionize. They say dangerous work, long commutes and soaring housing costs make it nearly impossible to live in the community they protect. (Jackson Hole Mountain Resort) 
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort's nearly 90 ski patrollers in ultra-wealthy Teton County are pushing for a vote to unionize. They say dangerous work, long commutes and soaring housing costs make it nearly impossible to live in the community they protect. (Jackson Hole Mountain Resort)
Unionizing Up For Vote
The Jackson Hole Ski Patrol’s efforts to unionize will involve several steps.
First, the NLRB’s regional office will ensure that its petition is valid.
If the petition is not withdrawn or dismissed, the NLRB will conduct a secret-ballot election in person, by mail or a combination.
Then, if the union wins a majority of the votes, the election will be certified, and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort will legally be required to bargain with the union.
Bargaining can take more than a year for an initial contract. Sometimes negotiations reach an impasse.
The Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association in Colorado may strike on Dec. 6, which is the scheduled opening day of the Telluride Ski Resort. The union wants a 30% increase for workers, while Teleski, the resort’s owner, is offering a 2.5% raise.
Elsewhere, employees at the Park City Mountain Resort in Utah went on strike for two weeks in December 2024 before securing a pay increase that averaged $4 per hour.
Scott Schwebke can be reached at scott@cowboystatedaily.com.
