 Poster: A snowHead
|
Interesting report on the number of foreigners in low paid jobs in this resort.
http://www.kxmb.com/getARticle.asp?ArticleId=41278
I assume they get free accommodation as well. If so I am not sure the rates are that bad - for a holiday job.
I am not sure either that the comparison to outsourcing holds good, though fair comment about the adoption of other trendy PC issues.
It sounds as though there are probably more foreign employees in North American ski resorts than in Europe. I cannot say I noticed this on my trips - apart from the Antipodean lift attendants.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Latchigo, it's like much of the US (and is happening in the UK too) - the service industry is one which many locals will not go into - they want more money, or won't do the jobs for other reasons, so migrant workers fill the spaces.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
| Latchigo wrote: |
I assume they get free accommodation as well. If so I am not sure the rates are that bad - for a holiday job.
|
...a Goldsmithesque assumption there!
| Quote: |
| when you pay $9.25 an hour to folks to live in a town where they cannot afford to rent an apartment, the only takers you get are immigrants. |
(last paragraph of the article)
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Latchigo, I belive the same will happen here, rental prices rise and the Ski Bums move out, leaves the town without Kudos and the ambience will suffer. (It's love/hate with the Ski Bums)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Wear The Fox Hat wrote: |
| Latchigo wrote: |
I assume they get free accommodation as well. If so I am not sure the rates are that bad - for a holiday job.
|
...a Goldsmithesque assumption there!
| Quote: |
| when you pay $9.25 an hour to folks to live in a town where they cannot afford to rent an apartment, the only takers you get are immigrants. |
(last paragraph of the article) |
Key phrase was 'they cannot afford to rent'. I also guessed that holiday makers would be in competition for any cheap accommodation and could outbid low paid workers. That was the basis of my assumption.
I may have been in 'Goldsmithesque' mode, or 'Goldsmithian' mode, because I had just done a trawl on Google for 'ski news' as suggested elsewhere. This seemed to produce an awful lot of 'gay ski' weeks. This may be of interest to jb1970.
DG did not just copy everything that cropped on Google and he mostly added his own take on things too. So it is not as easy as it may sound and it is certainly time consuming in my view.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
I have just come back from New Zealand and it is full of Europeans working for peanuts, the local workers get paid higher wages because they want to retain them, however most guys looking for a job for a few weeks only want a few pennies to help with their keep, its part of the fun of being a ski bum  i was many years ago and got paid rubish but enjoyed every minute of it
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I suppose there are plenty of foreign workers in European ski resorts but they do not conspicuously overwhelm the place by their presence. I am not sure if they do in Aspen as I have not been there.
One other gripe in the article is that cheap wages in Walmart also benefit the consumer as prices are low. In Aspen the bottom line is the beneficiary.
I suppose Aspen skiing is a finite resource. 'Pile em high, sell em cheap' does not apply. In any case, if you have sufficient customers at top dollar you have no reason to cut your prices. Workers are not in the job long enough to have real grievances about the wages. A strike in Canadian resort last year shows it is not impossible for them to organize themselves though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Aspen Skiing Comapny empoys hundreds of people from South America (Mainly Peru,Argentina) They employ a few Euro's & Antipdeans & Ameican Students to make up the numbers.
Employee housing is a mjor issue and has been for 20 years+ .
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
Keystone was almost totally hispanic migrant workers last time I went & not doing holiday jobs either. Vail resorts as a whole employs lots of overseas workers, sponsoring them for visas.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Few years ago I was skiing in Las Lenas (Argentina) & I was talking to an Amercan couple from Steamboat Springs . They worked for the Skiing company at Steamboat & openly admitted that they were also talking to Las Lenas Staff asking if they wanted to come to the US for the winter season  The Skiing company takes care of all the Visas etc.
In fact last season the snow was so good in Sun Valley that they extended the season a couple of weeks with fewer lifts operating. One reason cited was that the employees were on fixed working Visa's which cannot be extended without alot of paperwork.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Quote: |
suppose there are plenty of foreign workers in European ski resorts but they do not conspicuously overwhelm the place by their presence
|
Have you been to the Tarentaise recently?
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
| Lizzard wrote: |
| Quote: |
suppose there are plenty of foreign workers in European ski resorts but they do not conspicuously overwhelm the place by their presence
|
Have you been to the Tarentaise recently? |
You saying it's worse than Dordognshire?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Lizzard wrote: |
| Quote: |
suppose there are plenty of foreign workers in European ski resorts but they do not conspicuously overwhelm the place by their presence
|
Have you been to the Tarentaise recently? |
It depends on what you mean by overwhelm, but what proportion of the winter population in somewhere like Courchevel or Val d'Isere do you think will be seasonal workers from outside France? By definition there are going to be many more paying customers than staff, no matter where those staff normally live.
I've skied lots of times in the Tarantaise over the last 15 years, and I've never once felt I've been in a resort which was overwheled by seasonnaires. There are a few bars where lots of resort workers entertain themesleves, but you can easily avoid those places if you want to.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
rob@rar.org.uk, Those are my feelings about being 'overwhelmed' too.
stanton,fatbob, So do the visa workers get free accomodation in Aspen and Vail resorts ?
'Holiday' jobs for some might be real work for others, but I am not aware that US ski resorts keep most employees on once the season ends.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| Latchigo wrote: |
stanton,fatbob, So do the visa workers get free accomodation in Aspen and Vail resorts ?
|
No.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Wear The Fox Hat, Any ideas what they do for accommodation then ? For example where they live , how much it costs .
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Latchigo, there are blocks which are almost like halls of residence at uni. Normally several sharing each apartment. They won't be in the holdiay makers side of town. The other option is that they live in surrounding areas and get bussed in each day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
Latchigo,
Most of the afluent ski bums who arrive in Aspen normally stay at one of the two Hotels that have have Hostel Bunk beds, this is untill there money runs out . At over $30 a day money runs out fast. Many of the afflunet ski bums (Euros'Ozzys) want to be near/in town but find out this is not an option and many have to leave when they find out they have to stay in Glenwood Springs 40 miles away.
Some skibums get together and rent a house out of town (maybe 10-15miles away) but there comes a problem when one of the group gets fired a replecement is needed quick to make up the difference for rent. If the rent is not kept up (in advance) everyone gets kicked out.
As Wear The Fox Hat says .
The Hispanics generally do not ski there just there for the money. They are bussed in from miles away.
This is one place (I stayed at many many years ago when it was about $8 aday !
http://www.stmoritzlodge.com/docs/Rates_06-07.pdf
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
