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Telluride Ski & Golf presents last offer as ski‑patrol union prepares to vote; resort warns limited terrain if patrol walks out
Summary
Telluride Ski & Golf told regional officials that it delivered a "last, best and final" contract offer to the ski‑patrol union and that a patrol vote was imminent. The resort said the offer includes a year‑one average 9% wage rise plus targeted market adjustments and warned that a walkout would reduce operations to two lifts.
Telluride Ski & Golf (TSG) on Dec. 8 told San Miguel County and town officials it has submitted a "last, best, and final" contract offer to the ski‑patrol union and that the union planned to vote the same day or the following day. Laura Thompson, one of three TSG representatives at the meeting, said the package is layered by certification and seniority but described key elements as an average 9% wage increase in year one, a 38.3% market adjustment for advanced/specialist patrollers, increases in the ski‑patrol equipment allowance (previously $1,200, moving toward $1,600) and minimum cost‑of‑living adjustments of 5% in years two and three.
Why it matters: County and municipal officials said a patrol walkout during the holidays would sharply curtail mountain access and harm the regional economy. Commissioner Galena Gleeson told presenters the patrol’s full ask was “somewhere around the $400,000 mark,” and TSG said its last dollar offer was “over $300,000.” TSG executives warned that if patrol members walked out, resort operations could be limited to lifts 1 and 4 and that many higher‑elevation restaurants and services might not operate, affecting lodging and local businesses.
TSG said it has contingency plans but emphasized limits. Steve Swenson, another TSG representative, said the resort is attempting to preserve core guest experience and is exploring off‑mountain activities and special events as possible mitigations. "We're planning both sides of it right now," Swenson said, adding that resort staff hope the offer will be accepted so communities and businesses can operate normally over the holidays.
Asked for precise hourly or per‑employee dollar figures, TSG said those numbers vary by individual certifications and seniority and were not available in the meeting; presenters urged the union and patrol membership to review the offer’s layers before voting. An attendee asked whether the percentage increases could be translated into an average dollar amount per patroller; TSG replied that the patrol holds the specific totals and that the resort could not provide individualized figures at the meeting.
The meeting record also includes two different references to the patrol’s overall ask: Commissioner Galena Gleeson cited about $400,000 as the patrol’s full ask; a Mountain Village speaker later said they had been authorized to communicate that the patrol’s ask translated to roughly $3.90 per hour in the employer’s view. TSG described its last dollar figure as “over $300,000.”
Next steps: Presenters said the ski‑patrol union planned to vote that evening or the following day. Officials in the room urged transparency on dollar totals for public information; several elected officials said they would monitor cancellations and lodging reservations that had reportedly already begun to pause amid strike concerns.
No formal motion or board vote on the contract took place at the intergovernmental meeting; TSG’s presentation was informational and focused on operational readiness and bargaining status.
