Ski patrol strike shuts down Colorado's popular Telluride resort indefinitely

The popular Telluride Ski Resort in Mountain Village, Colorado, was shuttered Saturday, with no date set for reopening, due to a labor dispute with the ski patrol union over wages. The resort's management had announced the pending closure on Wednesday. 

The Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association voted to strike after months of negotiations, saying resort ownership has ignored proposals for wage increases to account for the high cost of living in the popular Colorado ski town.

"We exhausted every idea to avert this situation, and we compromised below our comfort level and bottom line to move the conversation forward in good faith," the ski patrol association said in a statement on Friday. "Instead of negotiating, the Telluride Ski and Golf Resort (TSG) brought us back to the table this past week with no ideas, solutions, nor improvements to move towards the middle. TSG never attempted to increase their offer whatsoever and completely wasted our time leading into the Holiday season."

Telluride owner Chuck Horning says the ski patrol's union rejected the resort's "best and final offer." In a statement, Horning said in part, "Telluride Ski Resort did not make this decision — the strike or its timing."

Bailey Mallette, who's been a Telluride ski patroller for 15 years, says it's "not really a huge amount of money we're asking for," but they're seeking changes to the wage structure so that people can "make an actual career out of this."

Mallette says it's also about keeping talented people, especially considering the time it takes to learn the job: "It takes so much time to learn this terrain and learn the different aspects of the job that after about five years before anybody really understands what they're doing."

Ski patrol comprises specially trained rescue workers who hike, ski, or snowmobile to injured skiers, treating their injuries, and often bringing them off the mountain to a separate area for more advanced medical care or transportation to a hospital. Many patrol members hold EMT or paramedic certifications or certifications in specialized evacuation techniques.

Some ski patrol members are even further specialized, intentionally triggering avalanches using explosives before resort areas open for the season to prevent avalanches from happening when skiers are present.

Horning said he's disappointed that patrollers would walk off the job during one of the busiest times of the year.

The ski patrol association said it was the resort's refusal to negotiate — not the patrol members' decision to strike — that led to the closure.

"The Ski Patrol did not make any decision to close this mountain. That is not, and has never been, our decision to make. Our Union has given us a voice which we are using to stand up for a fair wage, our future and the sustainability of our program," it said. "Make no mistake; Chuck Horning knew this was a possibility and prepared nothing in order to continue safe operations. In retaliating against the Union, TSG decided to disastrously impact its employees, its guests, local businesses, and our community."

The ski patrol association, in a separate statement on Thursday, said it reduced its contract demands, including reducing the wage expectations and no longer asking for healthcare or an increased stipend for equipment, all of which, it says, reduced its demands by about $220,000.

"The company has moved $0," the patrol association said. "We have come to the table ready to make a deal, and we do not view the company 'respectfully' offering a twice rejected (last, best, and final offer) a third time as intending to do the same."

The stalled negotiations stem from what the union describes as a "broken wage structure."

Ski patrollers in Telluride make a minimum of $21 per hour, with supervisors making an average of about $38.17 per hour, according to the union, or about $43,680 to $79,393 per year, before taxes. The average rent in Telluride is $8,342 per month, and $3,594 for one-bedroom apartments, which is approximately 318% higher than the national average, according to Zillow.

Telluride Mayor Teddy Errico called the strike and closure "unprecedented. He said he's in touch with both parties and hopes they can resolve the dispute quickly, considering the economic impact of a strike and closure during the resort's busiest time of the year.

"In the wintertime, the Telluride ski resort is our economic driver, and you can't shy away from that," he told CBS News Colorado. He says if the closure lasts more than a couple of days, it will hurt the community.

"It's just that reality that when you rely on one business, when that business gets affected, it hurts everybody," he said. "We're here to help, if we can come up with some kind of solution to help bridge the gap. It's important that you know each party knows we care."

Telluride is just the latest resort where the ski patrollers' union has been involved in labor disputes. In January, a Park City Mountain Resort patroller strike in Utah earned them higher wages and benefits. And in February, Keystone Resort reached a deal with its ski patrol union for higher wages.

"The patrol has proposed these pay increases as an improved pay structure that supports special skill development, retention, and contribution to this program," the Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association said. "The company continues to push a one time wage adjustment that does nothing for attraction or retention to this team, or creating a career path forward for new members to this team, it's simply a Band-Aid when we need a tourniquet."