SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. — The Arapahoe Basin ski patrol announced they will file for union representation with the United Professional Ski Patrols of America. A vote is set for six weeks to finalize the decision.
In addition to the usual gear needed to be part of a ski patrol, it's common to also wear many hats.
"I'm a professional ski patroller at A-Basin, I'm a dog handler and I'm also our accident investigation foreman," said Jack Western, who joined ski patrol in 2017. "This is exactly what I want to be doing. I want to be working on skis. I want to be taking care of people."
A labor of love for the seasonal position in a pricey community was always going to be a challenge.
"Summit County is a hard place to live in the first place. Regardless of what job you have, you almost have to have several just to be able to make ends meet," he said.
In the last several years, the industry has seen a shift — more ski patrols are joining unions. Many A-Basin patrollers are hoping to follow suit.
"We've had a lot of wage increases from other patrollers in the area unionizing and bringing the cost of living up for the rest of us. That alone has been a really big indicator," Western said.
Ryan Dineen is the organizer for the local chapter of the union.
"I'm a Breckenridge ski patroller and I've been patrolling for 13 years. This is kind of a grassroots movement amongst ski patrollers," Dineen said.
The final decision of whether A-Basin Ski Patrol joins the union or not will happen in about six weeks.
Patrollers said it's not about fighting the parent company or the resort. It's about what's fair.
"We're all EMTs, there's a bunch of paramedics. We have a lot of nurses. I'm a dog handler and trainer for Avalanche Search and Rescue. All of that combined into one job seems like it should be worth more than $25 an hour right?" Western said.
Denver7 reached out to Arapahoe Basin and the resort's new parent company Alterra for a comment.
"Arapahoe Basin is an extraordinary resort providing incredible experiences for our guests and employees for almost 80 years. We take pride in being a transparent and equitable employer and are committed to continuing that while we work through this process with our Ski Patrol," said A-Basin President & COO Alan Henceroth.
At time of publishing, Alterra had not responded to the request.
Earlier this year, Eldora’s Ski Patrol team joined the growing movement to give resort workers more say over their pay and working conditions. Over the last couple of years, the number of Colorado ski resort workers in a union has almost doubled. Seven resorts across the state — Aspen-Snowmass, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Loveland, Purgatory, Steamboat Springs and Telluride — are already unionized, mostly through the United Professional Ski Patrols of America union.
