As Telluride Ski Resort enters the fourth day of closure due to a ski patrol strike aimed at securing better wages, Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association (TPSPA) has issued a statement regarding accepting “outside money to bridge the gap of a contract.” While benefactors may want to inject money into the situation to get the ski patrollers paid and the chairlifts back up and running, TPSPA has stated that it is “the responsibility of Telski and Telski only to pay their employees a fair wage.” The following TPSPA statement was issued this morning:
“It is the unfortunate reality that it is the responsibility of Telski and Telski only to pay their employees a fair wage. Of course it would benefit everyone if this problem of a functional wage scale and livable wages could be solved so simply. This is not an ethically or legally viable option for TPSPA to take. You can help support us and others in the community by donating to our GoFundMe. We are currently working with the Telluride Foundation to create a functional structure for processing some of our fundraising into the community, these things do not happen overnight. In the short term, we will be encouraging people to donate to their tax-deductible Good Neighbor Fund in addition to our GoFundMe.
While it is great that many people would like to fix this issue by putting more money out there, it does not solve the issue of language, structure or security of a signed contract. It is also, at best murky, at worst illegal for a union to accept outside money to bridge the gap of a contract like this, “prohibited transactions”. This is a negotiation between employees and their employer for fair wages, and anything short of a contract with a sustainable wage structure does not solve this problem long term. We are directing people to our GoFundMe because it can help people cover basic living expenses during this time. We also wish it were as simple as a wealthy philanthropist or well intentioned small business stepping in, unfortunately it is not.”
The ski patrol union is seeking an approximately 30% to 35% hourly wage increase. The resorts most recent counteroffer was a 23% hourly wage increase. As of today the GoFundMe setup to help Telluride ski patrollers during the strike has raised $98,552 towards their goal of $360,000. Yesterday the Towns of Mountain Village and Telluride and San Miguel County issued the following joint statement regarding the resort’s indefinite closure:
Joint statement from Towns of Mountain Village and Telluride and San Miguel County regarding ski patrol & resort negotiations:
MOUNTAIN VILLAGE, COLO. (December 29, 2025):
There have been increasing calls for regional governments to use taxpayer funds to help bridge the financial gap between Telluride Ski Resort and the Telluride Ski Patrol union to end the strike. While the merits of this approach have been considered, the regional governments have consulted labor counsel and have been told that such contributions are prohibited under applicable labor laws.
Additionally, both parties have indicated they are not interested in third-party financial contributions to resolve this matter.
We recognize the strain and uncertainty this labor dispute places on local businesses, residents, employees, and guests. Staff and elected officials from the Town of Mountain Village, Town of Telluride and San Miguel County are monitoring the situation and remain prepared to respond as appropriate, while continuing to urge a speedy and amicable resolution to contract negotiations.
Telluride Ski Resort has issued a statement that all uphill and downhill access to the resort is closed day and night and anyone trespassing on the mountain will be prosecuted. We are committed to staying on top of emerging developments and providing the most up to date information on this story.
