A Strike, a Ski Resort Shut Down, a Huge Brawl, and a Reopening Today in Bariloche, Argentina

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Bariloche police breaking up a fight between ski instructors and striking lifties at Catedral ski resort in Bariloche, Argentina today.
Bariloche police breaking up a fight between ski instructors and striking lifties at Catedral ski resort in Bariloche, Argentina today.

Wow.  Things got crazy at Catedral ski resort in Bariloche, Argentina today.

  • Striking lifites shut down the ski resort for the second day in a row asking for a 30% raise. 
  • 200 ski instructors and local business owners got into a brawl with the striking lifties that the police had to break up.  
  • Then, at 4pm local time, an agreement was reached between the striking lifties and Catedral’s management and the ski resort will be open again for business tomorrow.

Yes, much of South America is getting big snow but here in Bariloche we got rain to the top two days ago and yesterday and conditions aren’t great and we missed out on nothing.  We skinned to the summit of the ski resort today to verify if had snowed or not and it had not.

Patagonia tree skiing.
Patagonia tree skiing at Catedral ski resort in Bariloche, Argentina on August 3rd, 2015.

Three days ago, though, was the best day we’ve had here since 2013.

Bariloche police breaking up a fight between ski instructors and striking lifties at Catedral ski resort in Bariloche, Argentina today.
Bariloche police breaking up a fight between ski instructors and striking lifties at Catedral ski resort in Bariloche, Argentina today.

STRIKE DETAILS:

A group of 200 people including ski instructors and local business owners confronted and got into a fight with the lift operators who were striking and blocking the lifts at Catedral today.  Punches were thrown, insults were screamed, insulting chants were sung.  Basically, instructors and local business owners feel that they’re getting screwed by the striking lifties because they’re unable to work if the ski resort is shut down and the resort had been shut down for 2 days.

“La temporada es corta y la estamos desperdiciando” or “The season is short and we’re wasting it” is what the group of 200 people fighting the striking lifties was chanting today.

Blockade setup blocking the Sextuple chair today at Catedral
Blockade setup blocking the Sextuple chair today at Catedral

The police had to break up the fight.

Lifties at Catedral are striking for a 30% raise.  They closed all the lifts down yesterday and today.

It’s now being reported to SnowBrains by reliable sources that the lifties have reached an agreement with Catedral’s management and that the ski resort will be open tomorrow.


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3 thoughts on “A Strike, a Ski Resort Shut Down, a Huge Brawl, and a Reopening Today in Bariloche, Argentina

  1. “Yes, much of South America is getting big snow but here in Bariloche we got rain to the top two days ago…”

    This is one reason why Bariloche has the least reliable snow conditions among the big South America destinations. Nice to see it got topped off with enough snow to make skiing enjoyable this time.

  2. need more of that type of protest back home lift mechanics rule w/o them nothin runs deserve better pay dangerous work chippin sheaves on high up frozen steel tryin to move quick to allow opening after storm

    nice selfie sportin shades retro-dweeb…. j.k. of course

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