Iconic Ski Resort Is Set to Close at Height of Holiday Season
Skiers who intend to hit the slopes this weekend at one of the U.S.'s most iconic resorts can expect their plans to get wiped out. The Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association voted to go on strike Saturday in search of better pay.
Workers have been negotiating with Telluride's ownership since June, but the sides have failed to reach an agreement.
In a statement, the patrol association said management is "unwilling to fix a broken wage structure."
Meanwhile, owner Chuck Horning told ABC News the work stoppage could have a "devastating impact" on the high-end community located on the southwest corner of Colorado's Rocky Mountains.
Telluride plans to close on Saturday.
What Is Each Side Arguing?
Like many labor disputes, the difference comes down to money. The ski patrol union wants starting pay to rise from $21 to $28 per hour, and for wages for patrollers with more than 30 years of experience to hike up from $30 to $36 per hour to $39 to $48.60 per hour.
Union reps say they're asking for competitive wages with other resorts in the region, and blame Horning for not budging his position.
“He’s being a bully. This is what bullies do, take their toys and run," said the association's spokesman. "All he has to do is give us a fair contract, and this would all be over.”
The cost of living in Telluride, like other luxury ski towns out West, is high. It is 75% higher than other areas in the U.S., according to Economic Research Institute.
In recent years, there's been a rash of exposés on how ski patrollers and other seasonal workers are often forced to live hours away from their jobs, because they can't afford to live in the areas. East Coast summer resort destinations, such as the Hamptons and Nantucket, are experiencing similar crises.
Despite that reality, Horning casts blame on ski patrollers for taking the dramatic step to go on strike during Christmas week. "We are deeply disappointed that the Ski Patrol has chosen to take this action during such a critical time for our guests, employees, and the broader community," he said.
Patrons are already expressing their disappointment. "Telluride
you can’t close with 2 days notice," somebody posted on X. "Already on the way with thousands of dollars invested. Totally unacceptable!"
Ski patrollers are responsible for an array of responsibilities, including aiding injured skiers and containing avalanches with explosives.
Stuart Winchester, who writes a popular skiing Substack, describes the job as follows:
"Were I asked to draft a job description in search of big-mountain patrol candidates, I would probably come up with something like this: seeking ski patrollers for Big Time Mountain. Ideal candidate will possess a mountain goat’s agility, a meteorologist’s grasp of weather and snowpack, an ER doctor’s trauma-response capability, a monk’s demeanor, and an ’80s action-hero’s adeptness with handheld explosives. Also must be an expert skier."
Is There Precedent?
Last winter, ski patrol union members in Park City, Utah went on strike for 13 days. Their work stoppage ended when resort management agreed to raise their pay by $2 per hour.
Though the resort stayed open, customers who paid thousands of dollars were frustrated at the long wait times and inconveniences.
Much like this weekend's expected strike at Telluride, an announcement wasn't made until many people were already on resort grounds. "We thought it’d be a fun kind of Christmas gift to go do this kind of once-in-a lifetime ski trip," a customer who shelled out $20,000 for his family told NBC News. "The really frustrating part was just the lack of transparency."
Unionized ski patrols have nearly doubled in number over the last four years, with workers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming taking the latest steps to organize.