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KrustyKrabIt’s honestly really depressing, and I think it’s especially clear now with ski towns that got wrecked by Covid. It doesn’t help that vail resorts is trying to reap in profits while completely neglecting the people who work for them. Selling more passes while experiencing record low employment at the resorts are bringing in more crowds, but sites like Airbnb and VRBO are driving up prices and driving out locals. It seems like the crisis has gotten some attention as there has been legislation and regulations regarding short-term rental that got passed in Summit county in an attempt to deal with the housing crisis. Just curious as to people’s thoughts on this situation and what it may mean for the future.
DominatorJacquesIt's the way of the world. This is happening everywhere good outdoor stuff is.
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/1016529/Bend-Oregon-Too-Many-Rats-in-a-Cage-May-2nd-2018
JLejGas stations pay more money in ski towns than skilled labor at a resort that charges $150+ for a lift ticket
SuspiciousFishCrested Butte is the ultimate example of this. There are mountain employees that are literally homeless. The city should set something up in an empty lot or something and contract with these kind of companies that do turnkey solutions for oil and gas industries:
https://www.cottonlogistics.com/temporary-support-services/workforce-housing/
I mean, these people just need basic housing to work and chill on the mountain. It should not be rocket science to figure out a solution.
BrightFrogsuck for all the people who went to college; may as well work fast food it’s more pay per hour
junior1derfulSo many employees at resorts work 5 days a week so they can only use it twice a week. It's almost pointless if you can barely even use it.
SessionYou mean like most people who pay for a season pass?
KrustyKrabYeah but workers get a season pass in the place of a decent, livable wage
**This post was edited on Nov 4th 2021 at 11:44:50am
eheath*entry level workers, there are tons of people who work at ski resorts and do make a livable wage doing career focused jobs. Being a lifty/ticket scanner/ski instructor is a seasonal job, not a career.
EdudeYea, but you do get that people work seasonal jobs though right? Even if it's not your career you should still be getting paid a fair amount. No one is saying the same or more as a person who works in the resort year round, but the people operating your favorite chair should be able to pay their rent, gas and some groceries.
eheathIf its not enough money for you, get a different job. Nobody is forcing them to work at the resort, there are plenty of other jobs in a ski town that pay more. Don't get it twisted, I think they should get paid more, but they don't and likely won't get paid much more than the absolute minimum.
WormracerIt's okay NS. He clearly has no idea what he is talking about, and the difference between a career, and a job in an area with wages that can't support those employees living in those areas. He is just a simple minded boi.
WormracerIt's okay NS. He clearly has no idea what he is talking about, and the difference between a career, and a job in an area with wages that can't support those employees living in those areas. He is just a simple minded boi.
eheathIf its not enough money for you, get a different job. Nobody is forcing them to work at the resort, there are plenty of other jobs in a ski town that pay more. Don't get it twisted, I think they should get paid more, but they don't and likely won't get paid much more than the absolute minimum.
eheathYeah I haven't lived in a ski town for the last 9 years...
Like I said, I think they should get paid more and I'm pretty sure vail just bumped to $15/hour right? Being a lifty isn't a skilled position, you think they should get paid $30/hour or something? Right now, being a lifty is a ski bum seasonal job, you shouldn't be a lifty if you need to support yourself beyond the most basic needs.
Everyone wants the resorts to stop charging so much money for everything, parking, food, fast tracks, retails, etc yet they want them to pay their employees more, how does that make sense?
EdudeDon't you want your resort to be bumping? you pull up to a chair and have a convo with a fired up liftie. Supporting your local community is supporting everyone who is working the shitty, entry level jobs.
eheathYeah I haven't lived in a ski town for the last 9 years...
Like I said, I think they should get paid more and I'm pretty sure vail just bumped to $15/hour right? Being a lifty isn't a skilled position, you think they should get paid $30/hour or something? Right now, being a lifty is a ski bum seasonal job, you shouldn't be a lifty if you need to support yourself beyond the most basic needs.
Everyone wants the resorts to stop charging so much money for everything, parking, food, fast tracks, retails, etc yet they want them to pay their employees more, how does that make sense?
DominatorJacquesIt's the way of the world. This is happening everywhere good outdoor stuff is.
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/1016529/Bend-Oregon-Too-Many-Rats-in-a-Cage-May-2nd-2018
WormracerYou haven't... You live in a city, next to a bigger city that happens to have ski areas around it.
Around 80% of the time you have zero idea what your talking about. This is one of those times.
Many ski areas aren't within 30mins from cities. They are set in rural areas with small populations. This is what is considered a ski town. The economy revolves around these ski areas so when they pay $12 an hour and housing costs over 60% of their paycheck, and the closest grocery store has prices set for tourists your fucked.
People aren't flocking to these places they are fucking born in them. They grew up down the road, went to a shit highschool, and don't have any opportunity to get out. This is how real live works guy.
Or they could pull themselves up by their bootstraps right?
BiffbarfPeople aren't flocking to ski towns? No opportunity to get out? Not my experience growing up poor af to ski bum parents in a 800sqft a frame cabin in Breckenridge.
J-Webs88Not trying to poke holes or anything, but why would locals need Airbnb or VRBO?
I would think its pretty hard to pay any seasonal position that doesn't require formal training and/or prior education or experience decent wages. Its like working at the beach for the summer. So much turnover from year to year. I would think most resorts would promote the lifties after a year or 2 to a position with more responsibility, but I don't honestly know. If they were full time employees and had summer positions than I would certainly understand wanting higher wages, but that should come with a promotion. Its like you can't be a line cook forever and continue to get raises, the ceiling is pretty low but there are positions like a sous chef or something that offer more opportunities.
Disclaimer: I grew up in MD and have never worked or lived in a ski town, and I probably don't know what I'm talking about.
SuspiciousFishOh man, you should see Couer d Alene, Idaho. They are tearing down all the old houses and literally cramming two tiny town houses on each lot. Luckily the grey winters are taking a toll on the influx and its slowing down. Low visibility days are common up there and any real Schweizer skier knows you either ski by feel or gtfo.
WormracerYou haven't... You live in a city, next to a bigger city that happens to have ski areas around it.
Around 80% of the time you have zero idea what your talking about. This is one of those times.
Many ski areas aren't within 30mins from cities. They are set in rural areas with small populations. This is what is considered a ski town. The economy revolves around these ski areas so when they pay $12 an hour and housing costs over 60% of their paycheck, and the closest grocery store has prices set for tourists your fucked.
People aren't flocking to these places they are fucking born in them. They grew up down the road, went to a shit highschool, and don't have any opportunity to get out. This is how real live works guy.
Or they could pull themselves up by their bootstraps right?
patagonialukeYeah, CB is very behind the 8 ball on it. That said, it's also wild how little Vail has done — they reportedly haven't been involved in basically any of the projects the local gov has been working on this summer (including buying a B&B that they're now renting to locals, and several bigger development projects that are 1-5 years out), despite Vail being the biggest employer here. Comes across like Vail is just hoping the towns figure it out for them.
WormracerDo you think it's possible to be poor and rent a house in Breck (not an apartment) anymore with a kid? Probably not.
J-Webs88Ah gotcha. Yeah that's a pain all over with Airbnb and VRBO. I can see how you could blame the resorts here, raising hotel prices (which is a probably a direct result from discounts with passes like epic), as you can get a bigger and better place thru Airbnb/VRBO.
Again, I'm the farthest thing from being a local and probably not qualified to comment here. I work an office job and try to get up to the mountain on the weekends. I'm probably the one renting those Airbnbs over the locals and I have an epic pass. I know its sickening but its the only real option for me anymore when every resort within 2 hours drive is a vail resort now. Last thing I want to do is take away a place from a local that needs it, or continue to drive up daily ticket prices by buying an epic pass, but I don't have much option anymore. I wouldn't go as far to say I can't look at myself in the mirror, but I'm not happy about it. If any local homies needed a place to stay for the night, I'd open the door and stock the beer fridge.
eheathLast I checked, you don't go to college to work for $12/hour at a resort...
BrightFrogNo, I went to college to work for $18 an hour and not be able to ski. Every employee is going to whine about being underpaid, and resort employees just make more noise because they live in expensive towns. As long as resorts are providing housing and passes, they shouldn’t have to pay shit. It’s not a career and not a societal benefit.
eheathI've been a lifty, I never said I don't support them I just said they get paid what they get paid for a reason and if they don't like it then they shouldn't do it. Being a lifty isn't a career, most make it work because they work in the summer doing something more lucrative or they have savings or they're a college student, etc.
PC has had issues with lack of staff and they usually run one or two less lifts on slower days, it has an effect but until they have a true shortage of staff not much is going to change.
**This post was edited on Nov 4th 2021 at 1:25:39pm
