Vail announces $20/hour minimum next season

[Peruvian]

I haven't seen a thread on this yet, so here it goes - https://www.vaildaily.com/news/vail-...o-20-per-hour/

[yeahman]

Just trying to sucker people into buying Epic passes again, pretending things will be so much better..

[Core Shot]

You get $19 bagging groceries here.
So. Not surprised.

And happy for lifties and other wage slaves.

[chicken feathers]

wonder how long till Alterra & others follow suit

[The SnowShow]

Just trying to sucker people into buying Epic passes again, pretending things will be so much better..

Hopefully people will stay on Epic. It’s the bestest pass.

[dunfree]

I guess that’s great if you want to bump lifts at Whitetail, Wilmit, Paoli Peaks, Afton Alps or one of the other feeder pimples

[Squirreljam]

Patrol and mechanics go to $21

[snowaddict91]

Patrol and mechanics go to $21

Makes the whole PC patrol negotiations shitshow look even more fucked up.

[ill-advised strategy]

That applies company-wide, so there’s probably a few goofy outliers (in Ohio or whatever) where that could actually be a good deal.

[Benny Profane]

Or Vermont

[HankScorpio]

"We plan to aggressively pursue building new affordable housing on the land we own, and pursue company leases in existing affordable housing developments, so we can make housing more accessible and affordable for our employees."

I'm more curious to see how this claim pans out, especially at Stowe where a small starter home is $1mil.

[Peruvian]

"We plan to aggressively pursue building new affordable housing on the land we own, and pursue company leases in existing affordable housing developments, so we can make housing more accessible and affordable for our employees."

I'm more curious to see how this claim pans out, especially at Stowe where a small starter home is $1mil.

I doubt anyone is buying a house in Stowe on a $20/hour seasonal position but there are rentals in Morrisville & Waterbury around $800/mo per bedroom which is affordable for that level of wage.

I'm not a Vail fanboi in any sense but this is a big step and it will be interesting to see what it leads to (rental inflation?).

[Boosh]

I doubt anyone is buying a house in Stowe on a $20/hour seasonal position but there are rentals in Morrisville & Waterbury around $800/mo per bedroom which is affordable for that level of wage.

I'm not a Vail fanboi in any sense but this is a big step and it will be interesting to see what it leads to (rental inflation?).

I am also interested to see how this all plays out; do they think they can build enough employee housing this summer to be ready in time for next season?

[fastfred]

I

I'm not a Vail fanboi in any sense but this is a big step and it will be interesting to see what it leads to (rental inflation?).

it's going to lead to holy shit
now every cheap ass second home owner vrbo specialist is going to start wondering why it's so expensive to get a handyman or a house cleaner or even when you go out for shitty ass food why is it so expensive

vail just upped the going rate for someone to stand around with their phone in their hand and thumb in their ass making money and not doing too much of anything but conquring the internet

local scummit paper just did a puff piece on how the towns are going to attract workers well that all got tossed out the window cause most of the local gov't don't pay a market rate wage anyways and do a great job classifying employees as seasonal part time or what ever they can to not pay any benefits

rental inflation has been tied to the real estate market doesn't have much to do with wages

this is all good but there are going to be a number of "small businesses" who skate around paying low wages no benifits and even using the 1099 employee shtick that are having a holy shit moment and not gonna be able to buy that brand new denali pick up truck this year

[fastfred]

I am also interested to see how this all plays out; do they think they can build enough employee housing this summer to be ready in time for next season?

no
vail has no interest or desire to build employee housing they pass the buck to the local gov't to do it
they claim to "invest" in local housing which means they give the local govt' 10% of the cost to build reserve a number of units for their employees then do a press release about how they were "partners" in a housing project

they are full of shit

if a project is shovel ready to build in summit county it will take 2 years to complete due to labor shortages imagine a 20 unit building being built with 8 people on site doing the work it's happening right now it's funny as shit

[t.odd]

"We plan to aggressively pursue building new affordable housing on the land we own, and pursue company leases in existing affordable housing developments, so we can make housing more accessible and affordable for our employees."

I'm more curious to see how this claim pans out, especially at Stowe where a small starter home is $1mil.

They've been sitting on a proposed development in Whistler for 240 bed staff housing building since 2020 that actually has received 3 readings from council (4th is final approval), and we've been in employee housing crisis here for a lot longer....dragging the fuck out of their heels on that, so would be nice to actually see movement on that.

[old goat]

Paying skilled positions, especially patrol, a buck an hour more than entry level unskilled is a joke. But I guess people are wiling to work for that so Vail can get away with it.

[The SnowShow]

Paying skilled positions, especially patrol, a buck an hour more than entry level unskilled is a joke. But I guess people are wiling to work for that so Vail can get away with it.

Yeah, if I were patrol I’d strike now and often. Can’t run the mtns without them.

[smmokan]

Paying skilled positions, especially patrol, a buck an hour more than entry level unskilled is a joke. But I guess people are wiling to work for that so Vail can get away with it.

How about this.... as a liftie in Eagle County next fall, you'll make more than a lot of the teachers. But with no skillset, likely no relevant degree/education, and very little responsibility. Yet when teachers strike or complain about their shitty salaries, they're mostly told to shut the hell up.

[BC.]

How about this.... as a liftie in Eagle County next fall, you'll make more than a lot of the teachers. But with no skillset, likely no relevant degree/education, and very little responsibility. Yet when teachers strike or complain about their shitty salaries, they're mostly told to shut the hell up.

I guess I’m quitting and moving to CO next fall…..who would of thought, bumping chairs would finally get me a decent pay raise?

Hope there are redheads there…..that will be like a signing bonus!!!

[CnRzG]

How about this.... as a liftie in Eagle County next fall, you'll make more than a lot of the teachers. But with no skillset, likely no relevant degree/education, and very little responsibility. Yet when teachers strike or complain about their shitty salaries, they're mostly told to shut the hell up.

Which is why I am considering leaving teaching for something less stressful. PSIA certification....

[Benny Profane]

I was skiing today with two boarders at Killington, one my old boomer buddy and the other his friend and colleague at the Kmart snowboard school. She works three jobs at Killington, gets by. She thinks Killington (Powdr) has to respond, along with Alterra. May take awhile, since people are locked into RE situations, rental or own, and nobody is driving from Killington to Stowe or Mt. Snow for higher wages, but, still, definitely could change the employment landscape in ski country here. It was hard to find good help before all this at KMart, now it's really hard. Ski school is hurting big time for skilled people. There's some lifts not running in Vermont all season simply for lack of staff. Maybe we're back to a time when a young person can start at liftie or instructor, show ambition, and build something. May require a hardy manufactured home to live in, but, wtf.

[Peruvian]

How about this.... as a liftie in Eagle County next fall, you'll make more than a lot of the teachers. But with no skillset, likely no relevant degree/education, and very little responsibility. Yet when teachers strike or complain about their shitty salaries, they're mostly told to shut the hell up.

It looks like Vail teachers got a raise - https://www.vaildaily.com/news/eagle...eachers-staff/

But I get your point. The big difference is that as 5th year liftie (does anyone actually get that far?) you will still likley make $20/hour with no benefits where a teach will be looking at almost a 20% increase with accompanying benefits.

Of course, a teacher doesn't get to claim unemployment the day after school ends like a lifty does after closing day.

[SoVT Joey]

I was skiing today with two boarders at Killington, one my old boomer buddy and the other his friend and colleague at the Kmart snowboard school. She works three jobs at Killington, gets by. She thinks Killington (Powdr) has to respond, along with Alterra. May take awhile, since people are locked into RE situations, rental or own, and nobody is driving from Killington to Stowe or Mt. Snow for higher wages, but, still, definitely could change the employment landscape in ski country here. It was hard to find good help before all this at KMart, now it's really hard. Ski school is hurting big time for skilled people. There's some lifts not running in Vermont all season simply for lack of staff. Maybe we're back to a time when a young person can start at liftie or instructor, show ambition, and build something. May require a hardy manufactured home to live in, but, wtf.

Okemo is like 20 minutes from Kmart, they could steal employees, though not likely, as most of killington lives in Rutland. Stratton is also 20 minutes from mount snow. So logistically, yes they could steal employees, but I would expect both Alterra and Powdr to increase wages.

The real question is where are all the young people to work? Lifties are usually seasonal and tons work in landscaping and building here, usually for a lot more money. But there are so few people that respond to ads it’s crazy, or if they do show up, the chance they make it more then a week is very low. Landscape companies were still trying to higher in September of last year and were still offering over $20 an hour and signing bonuses anywhere from $1k-$5k. Still couldn’t fill the positions. I know multiple builders looking for general laborers here starting at over $25 an hour and can’t fill those jobs. Housing is hard to find for sure here, and pricy, but if Stratton thought they needed housing, they have it, they just haven’t seen the need for it apparently because there is no one to fill the housing.

[skiJ]

How about this.... as a liftie in Eagle County next fall, you'll make more than a lot of the teachers. But with no skillset, likely no relevant degree/education, and very little responsibility. Yet when teachers strike or complain about their shitty salaries, they're mostly told to shut the hell up.

https://www.vaildaily.com/news/eagle...eachers-staff/

to my reading, Teachers start at 45,000. annually -

If a liftie is paid 20. / hour for five months, the liftie makes 16,000. working 40 hours weekly for five months.


I don't see how the liftie is making more than the Teacher.


please clarify (?)

Thank you. skiJ