Telluride Ski Resort Resumes Operations Following Acceptance of Contract by Striking Ski Patrollers

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Telluride Ski Resort, located in southwestern Colorado, started reopening on Friday following a vote by striking ski patrollers to accept a contract and resume work.

The resort halted operations on December 27 after the Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association turned down a pay proposal from the company. It remained closed except for beginner carpet lifts and a lift serving two beginner trails, which were staffed this week by managers and temporary ski patrollers.

With support from artificial snowmaking and a foot (30 centimeters) of recent snowfall, additional lifts and runs will begin opening starting this weekend, according to a statement from resort officials.

“We believe this final offer constituted a fair compromise,” resort representative Steve Swenson stated in the release.

Details of the agreement—approved by the union in a Thursday vote—were not disclosed by either the resort or the ski patrol union. Negotiations had been ongoing since June.

The union had pushed for hourly wage hikes: from $21 to $28 for new patrollers, and from as low as $30 to nearly $50 for the most seasoned patrollers.

“Though we are ultimately quite disappointed not to have addressed our flawed wage system, we take great pride in our efforts that have driven this financial progress. We are even more proud of the recognition and integration of our supervisors into the unit,” read a union statement posted on social media Thursday.

Ski patrollers across other parts of the Rocky Mountain region have been forming unions. Some are advocating for higher pay, citing the high cost of living in ski towns and their role in ensuring safety.

Patroller responsibilities include assisting injured skiers and the controlled triggering of avalanches with explosives when no one is in the area.

A nearly two-week ski patrol strike a year ago closed numerous runs and caused  at Utah’s Park City Mountain Resort.  when a Colorado-based company agreed to demands such as a $2-per-hour base pay increase and raises for senior ski patrollers.