Devastating Layoffs In Yosemite

I mean, really, what do we expect? We see it year after year. In a way, in sticking around, I guess we’re all just gluttons for punishment. In 2016, when Yosemite Hospitality began operating in Yosemite National Park, they introduced the fiercest and deepest cuts to management the park has possibly ever seen. People who made their lives here, raised their families here, and called this place home were suddenly cast away. A few courageous individuals stuck around, thinking it might get better, perhaps believing these were just initial cuts and a rebuilding phase would follow. But no, first came the Ferguson fire and a monthlong evacuation, followed by heavy snows, a burning WOB [a cabin WithOut Bathroom], and many employees once again evacuated, and then in 2020, a once in a 100-year pandemic. In 2022, we started coming out of COVID and rebuilding the community that had suffered so much. Departments that had disappeared slowly started to return. Weston Spiegl stepped in, making changes. We saw someone who loved this place and wanted to effect positive change. Yes, Weston was concerned about profit margins – that’s just the way it is in corporate America – but he also cared about building a consistent community again. For those of us who had stuck around, we began to feel the winds of change. We started to believe that maybe we could rebuild. Then early in 2024 the news got out Weston was leaving, and almost immediately, the corporate guillotine was released.

At the core of each year’s layoffs is the cold-hearted corporate indifference and dollar-driven David Sloma, Aramark’s Vice President of Operations. He seems to ruthlessly navigate the Excel sheet, slashing labor and budgets from year to year, blatantly disregarding the human element behind each entry. Openly proclaiming his belief that every individual is expendable, Sloma shows a disturbing lack of empathy for the community. His actions are a glaring example of the most unapologetic form of corporate greed, where profit eclipses people. His chilling attitude raises serious concerns about his impact on societal fabric and highlights an extreme case of profit-driven callousness.

Layoffs have increased year after year, this year being particularly devastating. It changes the community’s culture, leading to a huge reduction in morale and, as we all know, decreases in retention. Not to mention the cuts to Yosemite Hospitality’s maintenance department, adding to the huge deferred maintenance backlog. How many people do we need to see come and go before they’re even able to do their job properly? Corporate Aramark severely lacks investment in its people, and because of this, the park, its visitors, and its community suffer.

For some, winter in Yosemite is a time of snow sports and adventure, but for many others, it’s marked by isolation, intensified hardships, and now the grim reality of unemployment. As Yosemite endures another winter, this community faces huge layoffs within Yosemite Hospitality. This shift in the park brings uncertainty and hardship. The mood within Yosemite Hospitality is palpable. People who are usually upbeat, finding the good in life, and enjoying the place they work and live (if they can keep their housing) are now weighed down by a sense of hopelessness and despair. In talking to the people, I’ve witnessed firsthand the toll these layoffs have taken. Yosemite workers are sharing stories of uncertainty and struggle, some brought to tears, with signs of mental strain evident in many conversations. These layoffs aren’t just a temporary inconvenience; they deeply affect the lives of those of us who call Yosemite home.

Regardless of what partner or agency we work for, we have all endured the hardships that Aramark corporate management have imposed on this community. There’s no investment in employee retention, and the first person in a long time who valued and invested in employee retention is leaving. So, we’re left with corporate decisions that are not community-oriented or community-driven, and are just numbers on paper.

So I ask you all, when do we light the fire to stay warm? When do we stand up as a community? When and how do we stand up to the powers that be and ask for something to be done? Is it through concessions management via NPS that can help us here? Maybe we should exercise our free speech rights and start reaching out to reporters? Writing more about our experiences here through the Yosemite Sentinel? Perhaps we should contact the San Francisco Chronicle or the San Francisco Gate? There’s a lot of press right now around the management of Aramark properties in national parks, specifically at Crater Lake. We can ride the momentum of Crater Lake’s publicity and talk about the struggles, hardships, and problems we face right here in Yosemite National Park. Now is the time. We have time on our hands; we’ve been laid off from our jobs. We’re sitting in canvas tents, WOBs, and studio apartments, twiddling our thumbs. Why don’t we light the fire this winter and stay warm?