Colorado ski unions emboldened after ski patroller strike in Utah
It's an influential time for ski resort employees here in Colorado. It comes after a Park City Mountain Resort patroller strike in Utah earned them higher wages and benefits. That success in another state with the same parent company is now playing into local contract conversations with resorts owned by Vail Resorts.
"There's a lot of awareness that's coming up into the union world of guests asking questions on chairlifts, people even who are union members learning more and being more active in their own unions and Park City's great achievements," said Ryan Dineen, local organizer for CWA 7781.
Dineen says, while the conversation with Park City is different in some ways, some of the price points and arguments patrollers were asking for are not too far from arguments local employees at Keystone, Breckenridge or other Vail Resorts owned mountains.
Dineen believes that it's a moment of momentum for unions right now.
"I think it can't help but change the conversation," Dineen said. "I think throughout the entire ski industry, anybody who owns and operates a ski area or even a business in a mountain town is seeing that."
Arapahoe Basin patrollers also have voted to unionize, while Keystone patrollers are working through their own contract negotiations right now. Breckenridge patroller contracts are up for negotiation this April, Dineen said.
While not explicitly in connection with this CBS New Colorado story, Keystone's vice president provided a statement during their contract negotiations with patrollers.
Dineen stopped short of trying to predict the future on whether there could be a strike in Colorado (Crested Butte's mechanic's union has authorized a strike at this point, but that's as far as it's gotten). Dineen did say this is a movement that should shake things up.
"There's a lot of ski patrollers who are waking up to what the reality of their situation is," Dineen said.
