Telluride Resort Owner Slams Ski Patrol Union After Christmas Strike Shuts Down Slopes

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Telluride, a prominent ski resort in the Western United States, intends to close in the coming days due to a labor dispute between its owner and the ski patrol union.

The Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association voted Tuesday to strike this Saturday, after contract negotiations stretching back to June failed to reach a pay agreement. With no additional talks scheduled before the weekend, Telluride Ski Resort announced it will not open that day.

“We are troubled that any organization—especially one that exists to help people—would take action with such a devastating impact on our community,” owner Chuck Horning said in a statement Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear if the closure will extend beyond the initial day. According to the statement, resort officials are working on a plan to reopen even if the strike continues.

The patrollers are seeking wages more aligned with their counterparts at other regional ski resorts.

The union wants starting pay to increase from $21 to $28 per hour, and for wages for patrollers with over 30 years of experience to rise from $30–$36 per hour to $39–$48.60 per hour.

While resort officials tried to blame the union for the impending closure, Andy Dennis—interim safety director and spokesperson for the patrollers’ association—said the fault lies with Horning.

“He’s acting like a bully. This is what bullies do: take their toys and leave,” Dennis said. “All he has to do is give us a fair contract, and this would all be over.”

Ski patrollers often argue for higher pay because of the high cost of living in ski towns and their responsibility for public safety. Their duties include assisting injured skiers and conducting controlled avalanche releases with explosives when no one is in range.

Even without the strike, Telluride has not fully launched its season yet, with meaning just 20 of the resort’s 149 trails have been able to open.

Ski patrollers across the Rocky Mountain region have recently been voting on unionization.

Last year, an almost two-week strike closed many runs and caused at Utah’s Park City Mountain Resort. when Colorado-based acceded to demands including a $2-an-hour base pay increase and raises for senior ski patrollers.