Telluride Ski Resort to close ahead of Christmas weekend ski patrol strike
UPDATE at 1:50 p.m. on Dec. 24: Telluride Ski Resort is set to close on Saturday due to a planned strike by ski patrollers.
Spokesperson Nancy Clark confirmed to JS that the resort will remain closed “until we can develop a plan to safely reopen.” Refunds will be issued for lift tickets and lessons purchased in advance by holiday travelers.
Previous reporting:
The ski patrollers at Telluride Ski Resort are scheduled to go on strike this weekend after months of negotiations for a new union contract.
The Telluride Professional Ski Patrollers Association announced on Tuesday night that the strike will begin on Saturday (Dec. 27) during the busy holiday ski season. Patrollers plan to walk off the job indefinitely until the resort resumes negotiations in good faith, according to union president Graham Hoffman.
Hoffman expressed concern about the impact on the local community during a peak winter season and stated that the union has exhausted all options after the resort’s final offer was rejected by its members earlier this month.
The union reported that 99% of its members voted in favor of the strike. Picketing will take place in downtown Telluride and Mountain Village.
The strike comes after negotiations between resort ownership and the patrollers’ union reached an impasse in June. The resort’s final offer was rejected by the union on Dec. 8, leading to the current situation.
Resort spokesperson Nancy Clark blamed the patrollers for the strike, calling it “a devastating attack on the community.” Resort owner Chuck Horning had previously threatened to raise lift ticket prices if the company gave in to the patrollers’ demands.
Despite the strike, there have not been widespread cancellations among tourists, according to Kiera Skinner, executive director of the Telluride Tourism Board.
Hoffman anticipates that the strike will significantly impact mountain operations, particularly in opening the higher elevations of the ski resort.
This strike follows similar actions in other ski resorts around the country, such as Park City, Utah, where patrollers went on strike last Christmas in response to stalled negotiations with owner Vail Resorts.
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