Last week, the Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association (TPSPA) voted to go on strike amid a contract dispute with Telluride Ski Resort. Among the key disputes between the two parties is a gap ranging from $65,000 to $115,000 over the life of a three-year contract between the TPSPA’s pay demands and the resort’s proposal (TPSPA reports a $65,000 gap while the Colorado Sun reported the $115,000 figure). Both numbers appear to be small in the grand scheme of things, which has led outsiders to ask if somebody else could just throw in the difference, but on Tuesday the union issued a statement concerning “outside money,” both as a temporary bridge through the labor dispute and as a longterm solution.
“It is the unfortunate reality that it is the responsibility of Telski and Telski only to pay their employees a fair wage,” they posted on social media. “Of course it would benefit everyone if this problem of a functional wage scale and livable wages could be solved so simply. This is not an ethically or legally viable option for TPSPA to take. You can help support us and others in the community by donating to our GoFundMe. We are currently working with the Telluride Foundation to create a functional structure for processing some of our fundraising into the community. These things do not happen overnight. In the short term, we will be encouraging people to donate to their tax-deductible Good Neighbor Fund in addition to our GoFundMe. Stay tuned for more information.”
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Meanwhile, the towns of Mountain Village and Telluride and San Miguel County weighed in on the matter as well.
“There have been increasing calls for regional governments to use taxpayer funds to help bridge the financial gap between Telluride Ski Resort and the Telluride Ski Patrol union to end the strike. While the merits of this approach have been considered, the regional governments have consulted labor counsel and have been told that such contributions are prohibited under applicable labor laws,” the statement reads. “Additionally, both parties have indicated they are not interested in third-party financial contributions to resolve this matter,” adding that “We recognize the strain and uncertainty this labor dispute places on local businesses, residents, employees, and guests. Staff and elected officials from the Town of Mountain Village, Town of Telluride and San Miguel County are monitoring the situation and remain prepared to respond as appropriate, while continuing to urge a speedy and amicable resolution to contract negotiations.”
On Tuesday, the union’s GoFundMe fundraiser reached above $100K through 870 donations. Those funds will support living expenses for both the patrollers and other departments, the union says. The latter appears to acknowledge that a work stoppage by ski patrollers has a ripple effect through the entire community. And in the event that a contract is ratified, the remaining funds will be used to aid livability for the region’s workforce.
According to the union, the cost of living in Telluride is 59 percent higher than the average throughout the state of Colorado and around 75 percent higher than the national average. Citing data from MIT, they add that a single adult in San Miguel County requires around $26/hour wage to cover basic living costs. When they adjust for the factor of most work in the community being seasonal, they estimate the number rises to $37.67 per hour. Per the TPSPA’s demands, patrollers with more than 30 years of experience would be able to meet that wage/cost of living requirement at a baseline of $39/hour. TPSPA has asked for a $7 raise for starting patrollers, from $21 to $28/hour.
