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Ski patrollers have been on strike for about a week, which prompted the resort to close.
TELLURIDE, Colo. — A strike by Telluride ski patrollers is approaching its one-week mark, and with no end in sight local businesses are facing significant losses.
The resort closed on Dec. 27 after the ski patrol union rejected its final offer. Contract negotiations between the union and the resort broke down late last month. According to the union, members are seeking to fix a decades-old compressed wage structure, while the resort claims the union is asking for too much.
“That’s really the main goal of what we’re trying to fix here. That’s what we need for retention. Retention is safety,” said Katherine Devlin, an advanced patroller and vice president of the Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association. “We need this job to be considered a career.”
Devlin said it’s been onerous for patrollers to find affordable housing, adding that many have been pushed out into surrounding communities.
“That becomes difficult as a ski patroller because you need to be there really early some mornings, so you have to be within a reasonable distance,” she said. “We really see that with the new generation coming in, the trainees, sometimes they can make it work for a year or two and then it’s just too difficult.”
The economic impact on the town is already being felt. According to the Telluride Tourism Board, bookings for short-term rental lodging have dropped 54% year-over-year in just the past week. Businesses that rely heavily on winter tourism, such as ground transportation services, are feeling the pain as well.
Andy Michelich, a former ski patroller in Utah who now runs TelluRides, said his business has seen a 22% drop in sales between Dec. 27 and Jan. 1.
“Our business relies solely on guests attending Telluride ski area in the wintertime, and that generates 70 to 75% of our yearly income,” Michelich told 9NEWS. “We’ve continued to try to offer other services, other attractions for our guests.”
That includes excursions to Ouray and tours on the Million Dollar Highway. Sales projections for the next two weeks are also down and include several cancellations. Uncertainty about when the two sides could wind up back at the bargaining table has also added to the challenge of running a local business.
TelluRides, which is locally owned, has been in operation for the past 12 years and employs 32 people.
“For those that are planning to come to Telluride, bear with us. We appreciate your patience and understanding, but yes, it’s been quite brutal,” Michelich said. “Whether the resort opens tomorrow or next week, the likelihood of them [customers] reverting [to] that booking to come back to Telluride – it’s possible, but it’ll be ultimately up to them.”
He emphasized the importance of a long-term agreement for the sake of all local businesses.
“I really hope that the agreement is a long-term agreement where both parties will be happy.”
In a statement released earlier this week, Telluride Ski Resort said it was working on plans to reopen with a recruitment team in place.
“The ski resort is actively working on a plan to safely reopen Lifts 1 and 4 as quickly as possible,” it reads in part. “The goal is to hire qualified and experienced personnel to temporarily fill the gaps, allowing the resort to open as soon as possible.”
It added that the ski resort is open to continuing discussions, a sentiment the union has voiced as well.
“It’s a microeconomy, it’s difficult to navigate through,” Michelich said, reflecting on the broader impact on local businesses.
The union maintains that the strike is necessary to retain experienced ski patrol workers and to address long-standing wage issues. Meanwhile, businesses throughout Telluride are bracing for continued losses if the strike persists.
The strike highlights the delicate balance between labor negotiations and local economies that rely heavily on tourism. Both sides remain at an impasse, with no public indication of a resolution timeline.
