On Monday night, the Telluride ski patrol union voted to reject the resort owner’s final offer for compensation. The vote came two days after the ski area’s opening day and about a month after the union voted unanimously to authorize a strike.
Resort owner Chuck Horning had proffered a 9 percent pay increase for new patrollers for a starting hourly wage just over $24, topping out just under $30 an hour for the most experienced on-mountain emergency responders.
The patrollers had asked for at least $30 an hour for new workers, paid time off, stipends for health insurance and all the gear they need for the job.
All six ski patrol supervisors at Telluride also voted unanimously on Nov. 24 in favor of a rare unionization of resort managers. All but one member of the ski patrol union and the newly unionized supervisors voted to reject the resort company’s offer.
Monday’s vote sets the stage for a holiday strike at a premiere Colorado ski resort.
Meanwhile, in Aspen, where the ski patrol has operated with a union for decades, eight months of contract negotiations ended with a 3-year agreement, the Aspen Daily News reports. The contract incorporates a new framework emphasizing specialized skills and professional development. The Aspen Professional Ski patrol Association is an independent union with around 200 members across the four mountains owned by the Crown family of Chicago. Summertime rangers and bike patrollers are included in the union. Base pay in Aspen starts at $24 an hour, but more skilled members can start as high as $27 hourly. Equipment allowances and health insurance come with the full-time job. In contrast to Telluride, 96% of the union here voted in favor of the 3-year agreement.
