Industry News
Nearly a year after the tumultuous Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association (PCPSPA) strike and new contract ratification, Colorado’s own Eldora Ski Patrol has secured a victory in wage negotiations with POWDR Corp. After 13 months of back-and-forth talks, both sides reached a new contract on October 30—just in time for the 2025-26 season. Ski patrollers across the country are now driving a clear unionization trend. PCPSPA’s success in new contracts for their patrollers, now followed by Eldora’s increases in wage compensation, is proof of the power of unions. The timing also aligns with the town of Nederland’s efforts to purchase Eldora Ski Resort from POWDR Corp. The view on corporations’ involvement with ski towns has always been unsteady, but ski patrol union dialogues are proving effective in bridging that gap.
Read More: What Exactly Did Park City, UT, Patrollers Achieve in Their New Labor Contract with Vail Resorts?
Wages were the main focus of Eldora’s Ski Patrol demands in their new contract. For years, ski patrollers have faced disproportionately low pay for the risks and responsibilities of their work. With ski town living costs already being so high, it forces workers to live in sub-optimal conditions, commute farther, and makes it harder to manage expensive extracurriculars like higher education. The new contract raises average wages by 19% and sets first-year patrollers’ pay at $24.50 per hour. Third-year patrollers will be starting at $30-$31 an hour. Those with EMT and paramedic licenses will receive additional compensation. There will be no cap on wages, and employees will be eligible for overtime pay past 40 hours a week.
Health care benefits and gear reimbursement also sweeten the deal. A $300 per month healthcare stipend relieves seasonal employees who would otherwise not qualify for year-round benefits. Seasonal workers will also receive a $500 gear allowance, while full-time employees get $1,100. Additional training is also incentivized for things like avalanche safety or lift evacuations.
While Eldora Ski Patrol and PCPSPA succeed in securing new contracts, there is still a divide between these corporations and ski town residents. However, Nederland, Colorado, pushes back against the status quo. It’s known that once a ski conglomerate like Vail or Alterra buys out a resort, the town itself shifts and changes. The local ownership and culture are replaced by an influx of outsiders and a new focus on tourism. The details of the new deal being brokered are kept under tight wraps.
Neither party is sharing many details and is letting due process take its course. However, a transaction like this would be monumental in how ski resorts operate. Things could shake up for ski patrollers. For better or for worse, wages could be managed municipally; the union itself may undergo restructuring as it would make patrollers city employees. Workers would no longer be subject to corporate policy. There are many unknowns about the ripple effects Nederland’s purchase would have. The process is unfolding, and as more details emerge, ski resorts will have a clearer idea of how a ski-town-owned resort could function.
Eldora Ski Patrol continues to pave the way for other patrol associations. After 13 months of negotiations, the team ratified a contract that dramatically improves patrollers’ lives and proves that unionizing works. Park City and Eldora have really made a splash, and the ripple effects are still emerging. It will be exciting to see other patrollers break from the mold and establish new relationships between the resorts and the patrol teams.
Read More:Â Town of Nederland, CO, Signs Letter of Intent to Purchase Eldora Mountain From POWDR
