Skiers Sue Vail Resorts for Park City Strike: Class Action Lawsuit
Skiers are taking legal action against Vail Resorts over a strike that affected Park City Mountain. The lawsuit claims that Vail Resorts failed to disclose the nearly two-week strike that took place and its impacts on visitors. Christopher Bisaillon, the primary plaintiff, is suing on behalf of anyone who bought a lift ticket for Park City Mountain from Dec. 27 to Jan. 8 during the ski patrol strike. This could potentially involve thousands of skiers and riders.
In the lawsuit, Bisaillon alleges that visitors didn’t get the experience they paid for, stating that a full ski trip to Park City could cost between $10,000 to $20,000. He mentioned spending $15,000 and only skiing fewer than 10 runs during a week-long Christmas vacation. The strike resulted in less than 20% of the mountain being open, leading to long lines that stretched up to 3 hours at times.
According to the lawsuit, Vail Resorts should have warned guests about the strike impacts and could have anticipated it related to contract negotiations that started in April 2024. During the strike, only around 20 mountain safety staff remained, as most of them had walked out. Vail Resorts brought in replacement patrollers from other resorts. The limited staffing affected operations, with reports of skiers and riders having to wait in long lines and concern about unsafe conditions on the mountain.
The strike had a significant impact, especially with peak holiday ski traffic. It received widespread news coverage, with complaints about long lines and guests being unhappy. Due to on-mountain conditions, lodging companies reported an increase in cancellations and guests leaving early.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages exceeding $5 million. They are represented by attorneys from Illinois and Wyoming. Vail Resorts declined to comment on the ongoing litigation.
