r/ParkCity 1d ago

Commentary from Dierdra Walsh PCPSPA Strike đŸ’ȘđŸȘ§

23 Upvotes

23

u/ColoradoSki439 1d ago

"We have raised our rate by 50% over the last 4 years" - while this may be true, let's add context. Starting pay for a patroller is $21/hr. If that is a 50% increase, that means they increased it from $14/hr. "We raised wages from completely unsustainably shitty to simply unsustainably shitty. We deserve a cookie for being so awesome" ummm - Vail Resorts - that's not how it works. As for treating folks with respect - Deirdra - how about YOU start by treating the employees with some instead of playing a whiny little victim. So much wrong with your little statement - where do I even start?

39

u/mc15blade 1d ago

I don’t care who’s right. I paid good money to ski the mountain and Vail isn’t delivering the product. It’s on them to pay their employees or do the blasting themselves. Otherwise give us customers our money back.

24

u/scottyv99 1d ago

So anyways, I started blasting

3

u/mshaefer 23h ago

Right? What purpose does VR serve if not to safely and effectively deliver terrain to customers? How do you do that without the knowledge and skill of patrollers who are familiar with the terrain and the specific risks under various snow conditions? How does VR expect to deliver without adequately compensating the one group of people who have that knowledge and the ability to pass it on? This isn't like running a factory, the mountains aren't static and they don't come with a manual. If VR leadership can't convince investors that patrollers are as much a part of the picture as miles of lifts and gondolas connecting vast swaths of terrain, then maybe they need new leadership. Or maybe that leadership shouldn't take home $6M a year for doing a poor job while refusing to pay patrollers as much as $57K a year to risk their safety for the customers that made her payday possible.

16

u/Forsaken-Resource845 LOCAL 1d ago

I wish there was a bit more transparency on this $2 vs. $7 /hr point. I’m speculating that might be factoring in the cost of other benefits, etc.

Either way, if VR viewed this as a priority, they had all summer to settle it. They accepted the risk, and the union decided to strike when it gave them the most leverage, which is what you do when you are negotiating with someone who is not acting in good faith.

6

u/FrontTemporary5133 1d ago

Part of what they say they’re asking for is wage decompression for longer tenure so it’s probably the cost increase per hour of the most seasoned patrollers (snow safety, career people) if they’d get all the wage and incentive increases they asked for, yet the $2 point would be the starting base increase for everyone.

16

u/grant0208 1d ago

We gotta start a hashtag #firewalsh

Just the single worst operations manager PC has ever seen. I can unequivocally say that I hate her with a burning passion

6

u/Electronic-Ruin2437 1d ago

Same. She was a nightmare for my dad when she was still in F&B and we are waiting with bated breath for her downfall

1

u/[deleted] 23h ago

[deleted]

43

u/tinylarge710 1d ago

“no one wins in a strike”😂

38

u/Round-Anything3755 1d ago

What an asinine statement by her. The reality is, both parties arguably could have won with this strike (patrollers get a fair deal; PC is a good steward to the community and not a grotesque symbol of corporate greed). However, Vail clearly believes that one person can win in this strike, and they are handling it accordingly.

6

u/Salt_Type_8032 1d ago

I actually laughed out loud at that line. It’s so painfully uninformed. I don’t doubt she has good intentions, but this whole piece came across as “we’re trying so hard, don’t be so mean to us”.

Also, people have been heckling scab workers since the origin of scab workers. Every personal who crosses a picket line should have their eyes wide open and be entirely prepared to receive a rash of shit.

3

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/blah9000 1d ago

This is so Charlie Kelly it’s actually hilarious.

13

u/TurningTwo 1d ago

Scabs get no respect? Of course not, why does she expect they should?

7

u/scottyv99 1d ago

Before Reagan more or less busted most unions, Scabs could get a lot worse than disrespect. So soft.

1

u/Successful-Help6432 19h ago

It’s not the scabs, I watched people be awful to a bunch of poor lifties last week, one girl walked away crying, it was terrible. Just because Vail screwed up doesn’t mean you have the right to treat people who aren’t involved like shit.

64

u/Round-Anything3755 1d ago
  1. She is right in that people should be kind to those hardworking, hourly employees in the trenches every day.
  2. This woman is not one of those hard working, hourly employees.
  3. I am so tired of her disingenuous, smug talk track. She makes all these statements in bad faith. She acts like she is a steward for the community, but the entire community has now turned on her, rich and poor. She is persona non grata as far as I am concerned. Even if she is just the messenger, she could have a backbone and stand up for the community, but she doesn’t. She is getting fired regardless.
  4. Vail sucks. Always have, always will.

TLDR Be nice to employees; who cares what Dierdra says; Vail sucks

11

u/billyshaam 1d ago

Respect is a living wage.

32

u/TreesForTheForest 1d ago

"It's not about $2/hr!"

So then why didn't Vail agree to the $2/hr contract stipulation? Then you would be able to say you've agreed 25/27 points.

2

u/hofx9d9 1d ago

Probably because they need to use it as a bargaining chip to make leeway on the final two points

1

u/TreesForTheForest 20h ago

It was a rhetorical question really. They are def using it as leverage.  Point is is that Park City hasn't agreed to the three things that are most valuable to the ski patrol union. The 24/27 taking point is silly and misleading, which is what I was trying to point out.

27

u/Nica811 1d ago

As an employee there what she wrote completely angered me were all in support of patrol and we all blame her and her corporate overlords for this mess and the way she talks down to us upsets me every time (I'm currently not on schedule during the strike I don't want to be responsible for someone getting hurt and not getting the proper treatment).

7

u/scottyv99 1d ago

Vomit inducing martyrdom. Too many quotes that absolutely made my blood boil. “Fake news/misinformation” : stfu. “We strive for transparency on operations” just be transparent. You don’t have to strive, just do it. And on and on.

8

u/Old-Double-8324 1d ago

I'm glad you can spot the double speak and pure bullshtt. This reads like something an MBA student would come up on a class project.

25

u/No_Combination3009 1d ago

I for one am shocked that the Mathew Prince newsletter printed an editorial sympathetic to the corporate cause. They're all a bunch of cunts. Fuck 'em

14

u/HamPaddle 1d ago

“The Matthew Prince Newsletter” - I’m dying 😆😆 Amen to that!

5

u/Winter-Invite-2803 1d ago

DEIrdra “please be nice while we fuck over the working class”

14

u/Medic118 NSP Cert Patroller ⛷ 1d ago

Stay Union strong, the tide is in your favor.

7

u/-QuestionMark- LOCAL 1d ago

Well there you have it. This was all Ski Patrol's fault and Vail is a glowing orb of goodness.

/s

Also we all are getting a free coupon for Hot Cocoa!* (valid during 2025-2026 ski season only and must be used in conjunction with a 1 week hotel booking)

10

u/amazingAZNsensation 1d ago

The patrol union did not walk out on negotiations. She's just full of shit at this point.

5

u/TurningTwo 1d ago

Paraphrasing an old writer, “A lie can make it halfway around the world before the truth can even get its shoes on.” Walsh knows this very well.

7

u/Moonbound420 1d ago

Deidra dragging Vails name through shit. She has absolutely ruined the reputation of the resort and the town. Vuck fail

6

u/scottyv99 1d ago

Vail is very much involved in crafting these messages. I doubt very much she is writing much, if any, of it

2

u/Forsaken-Resource845 LOCAL 1d ago

I’m surprised the lawyers finally let her use the word “apologize”.

4

u/Moonbound420 1d ago

That being said hoping the holidays are less crowded next year 😂

1

u/fantastic_damage101 1d ago

Winter 25 / 26, could be a country club the whole season eh?

2

u/Moonbound420 1d ago

One could only dream

11

u/Special_Can_3999 1d ago

Why are people harassing those working on the Mountain? Shameful!

17

u/gogglesdog 1d ago

if we're talking about the "patrollers" they could simply not scab

11

u/TreesForTheForest 1d ago

At best they are taking isolated incidents of people talking crap to scab patrollers and making it "heartbreaking relentless harassment" so Vail Resorts can be a victim. Personally, I haven't seen a single instance of someone harassing a ski patroller, in person or online. The hate and misanthropy are aimed at Vail management, or at minimum 99% of it is.

4

u/nek1981az 1d ago

I may or may not have witnessed a couple people ducking a rope yesterday while yelling, “fuck the scabs”. That’s all I’ve seen so far.

1

u/200pf 1d ago

You haven’t seen this then. I completely agree with what they’re doing, but some of it is definitely harassment. alt-patrol-backup instagram

3

u/200pf 1d ago

I personally witnessed people being incredibly rude to lift operators mostly because they were upset at how long the lines were.

2

u/utahnow 1d ago

fuck vail sideways

2

u/scottyv99 1d ago edited 1d ago

We miss CB. Watching the outlaw spirit of skiing get crushed is painful

3

u/slade45 1d ago

All spirits of skiing are being crushed.

3

u/gingersnap1107 1d ago

Another employee on the mountain (not patrol) these past few weeks have been an absolute shit show. Ya some guests have been rude and abusive to us however we give it right back and tell them Vail should actually pay its employees a living wage. NONE of us blame patrol and if we wouldn’t get fired most of the mountain would be on strike with them! I love and stand with my patrollers. Myself and so many others in multiple departments won’t be coming back next year bc Vail continues to fuck us over and prioritize profit over safety and the well being of staff

1

u/Old-Double-8324 1d ago

Is she A.I. ?

1

u/decathalot 1d ago

Pointing out that total cost of ask is $7/hr really doesn’t make Vail look better. Did she think that was some crazy number that would shock people? It’s still too small. Pay them!

2

u/Successful-Help6432 19h ago

She is right that the poor employees don’t deserve the awful abuse that’s been hurled their way over the last few weeks. I was at PC over Christmas/NY and yeah, it sucked, lines were insane, bad communication, etc.

But holy shit the way patrons were yelling at random lifties/park staff was absolutely gross. If you think berating some 23 year old junior employee is going to help things move faster then you’re part of the problem. There’s just no excuse for the behavior I saw.