What if I told you… "I handle explosives… I
respond to injuries and administer narcotics… I am highly
trained in search in rescue… I am here before the mountain
opens and after it closes… and now I am working more in the
summer with the expanding use and growing number on mountain
recreational of activities… and oh yeah, I am among the
lowest paid professionals in
N. America. Who am I?
I am a ski patroller at your favorite mountain.
Recently released data from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics called the Occupational Employment Statistics is
creating a lot of talk among locals and visitors in many ski
resort towns across the
US.
Where does the money from that $20 cheeseburger go? Not to
ski patrol that's for sure! Believe it or not most
patrollers still have to pay… some may get a shift meal,
while most only get an employee discount and still have to
reach into their pockets. That's why you see grills and
refrigerators at every ski patrol shack, besides who wants
to eat super expensive cafeteria food 5 to 7 day a week
anyway.
You can read the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational
Employment Statistics Here:
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes339092.htm
A lot has changed in the snow sports industries over the
years and the most glaring is today's resorts are more
interested in making millions and even billions in profits
and being #1 in Forbes Magazine list then being #1 in a Ski
Magazine any more. Don't be fooled by the old expression
"Living the Dream" today working middle-class locals are
living more of a nightmare being exploitated to maximize
corporate profits, and nowhere is this more evident then
with how local employees are paid and treated.
Back in the day the local community had year-round residents
who took on the added roles of patrollers, instructors,
cooks, servers etc. during ski season. But, before anything
happens on the mountain the patrol is out there making sure
it is safe for visitors and employees alike. If the mountain
is not safe it should not be open, right? Since everyone
associates todays resorts with money its hard to believe the
folks that keep the money maker rolling are so grossly
mistreated and underpaid. There are still 3 common
ingredients with today, snow, mountains and visitors… what's
changed is who is servicing the guest, how visitors are
being treated and what they are being charged for it.
Unions are becoming more popular and necessary result of the
failure of the resorts to take care of their own so to
speak, while their profits soar year after year. At the same
time they boast record profits the wages and benefits of
their employees have stagnated or were gutted. Many say it's
about time for a union… and others believe it's too little
too late. Many of the best and most experienced patrollers
have already been forced to leave the profession so they can
eat and keep a roof over their head. Resorts are becoming
more dependent on significantly less experienced and much
more transient patrollers who are more likely to accept
these condition on a short-term basis while they still
believe they are "living the dream"
As millennials begin taking over more and more of the travel
and entertainment markets skiers and riders need to remain
aware of what's going on around them. Stop corporate greed
and exploitation of the national forests and local workers
for corporate profits… well, maybe not… but in the
mean time if you see patrollers out to eat… and you have the
means and opportunity pick-up their check, buy them a drink
or just say thanks… everyone likes to feel appreciated… and
that feeling does not always come from a paycheck. Just ask
anyone who came down the hill on a sled.
Bureau of Labor Statistics -
Occupational Employment Statistics
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes339092.htm