Whitefish ski patrollers file petition to unionize

David Kerner is passionate about his work as a ski patroller at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Clocking in early, making the rounds to prep the slopes each morning, and helping guests have a fun and safe experience are all the parts of a job that keeps him coming back.

Yet, after four winters patrolling Big Mountain, he is left questioning whether he can afford another season as his $19.18 per hour paycheck continually falls short of Whitefish’s cost of living.

“It’s hard, at the end of the paycheck, to see what you’re left with,” Kerner said. “I’m stretched thin throughout the wintertime and then I have to make it all up in the summer. I take losses to do this job. But I love doing it.”