The Bottom Rail by Verbal Shredwright

YOUR BRAND, BUSINESS or EVENT HERE!


Posted March 01, 2016



SAFETY FIRST?

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


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