This is the second major resort experiencing a ski patrol labor dispute this year. Photo: John Robinson IV
On Tuesday, the Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association (TPSPA) voted to go on strike beginning Saturday, December 27. The following day, a statement posted to the Telluride Ski Resort’s website announced an indefinite closure as a result of the labor dispute.
“Due to the ski patrol’s unfortunate choice to strike, we have made the difficult decision to close the resort on Saturday, December 27, 2025,” reads the short statement. “Currently, we have no idea how long their strike will last so we will continue to work on a plan that allows us to safely open again as soon as possible.”
It seems the key negotiating point between the TPSPA and the privately owned resort is pay. The union wants a $7 raise in starting pay, from $21 to $28 per hour. The TPSPA is also demanding patrollers with more than 30 years of experience receive an increase from $30-$36 per hour to $39-$48.60 per hour. A statement from TPSPA on Tuesday said there’s “a $65,000 gap” between the association’s proposal and the resort’s, and argued that “reflects unwillingness from the company to fix a broken wage structure.” It’s unclear what the actual gap is, however, as the Colorado Sun reports a $115,000 difference over the life of three-year contract offers proposed between the two groups.
“Telluride didn’t make this decision — the strike nor the timing of it,” Telluride Ski Resort owner Chuck Horning said in his own statement Wednesday. “We are naturally disappointed that the ski patrol made this choice during such a busy time. They have repeatedly said publicly in town meetings that if they decide to strike, it would be their ‘nuclear option.’ We are concerned that any organization, particularly one that exists to help people, would do something that will have such a devastating effect on our community.”
TPSPA’s strike is the second such strike of patrollers at a popular ski area in the past year. This same weekend in 2024 marked the beginning of a 13-day strike at Park City Mountain Resort, when patrollers lobbied for higher wages and restructured benefits. Vail Resorts, which owns Park City Mountain Resort, kept limited terrain (approximately 25 percent) open during the holidays and the short strike, which ended on January 9, 2025.
