Keystone Ski Patrol Union (KSPU) members ratified their first-ever negotiated contract with Vail Resorts over the weekend, including raises and wage incentives, Denver Gazette news partner 9News reported Monday.

The union represents 81 employees, most of whom voted to ratify the contract on Saturday.

Negotiations with Vail Resorts began last fall and after months of bargaining, the KSPU negotiations team reached a tentative agreement last week. Their current contract expires in May and the union has been around in its current form since 2021.

“In my first season back at Keystone Resort and stepping into my new role as GM, a huge priority of mine has been focusing on operating as a unified team across the resort,” Shannon Buhler, GM and Vice President of Keystone Resort said in a separate statement regarding the agreement. “Teamwork is the root and foundation of everything we do here and is key to providing the best experience possible for our employees, our community, and our skiers and riders. With that in mind, I am glad that we have a new agreement in place with our ski patrol union. I have a tremendous amount of respect for our patrollers at Keystone and I appreciate the conversations we have had throughout this process that brought us to this point: a contract with base wages that are consistent with our other resorts and skills-based pay that reflects the terrain and avalanche complexity of Keystone Resort.”

The union said the agreement, which extends through the 2026-27 ski season brings “significant changes” for the ski patrol. They said it includes:

• Increased compensation for EMT, Nursing, and Paramedic certifications
• Additional wage incentives for specialized skills like language interpreters, sawyers, and chairlift evacuators
• Additional training opportunities for higher medical certifications, advanced avalanche education, and other specialized courses
• Wage compression adjustment

The union also said that every member of the Keystone Ski Patrol will receive a pay increase, but those in advanced, specialist, and team-lead positions will receive “significant increases.”

Late last year, workers with the Park City Ski Patrol in Utah went on strike for weeks as they also worked to negotiate a contract with Vail Resorts.

The 200 ski patrollers at Park City Mountain Resort went on strike on Dec. 27 alleging unfair bargaining in negotiations since March. Pointing to steep inflation since 2022, the Park City Professional Ski Patrollers Association sought a pay increase from $21 to $23 an hour. The union said $27 is a livable wage in Park City, which is also home to Deer Valley Resort.

Their new deal which was approved last month extends through April 2027.