Ski Patrol at Eldora Mountain Resort, CO, Campaigning to Unionize

Today, a supermajority of ski patrollers and medics at Eldora Mountain Resort, CO, filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (‘NLRB’) to hold an election for union representation in affiliation with the United Professional Ski Patrols of America (‘UPSPA’). The Eldora Professional Ski Patrol Association (‘EPSPA’) is joining a growing movement of unionized patrollers working to adapt to the mounting financial pressures of living in high-cost areas and the spiking visitor numbers of today’s ski industry.

71% of the patrollers and medics on Eldora’s patrol team signed cards signaling their desire to hold an election for representation by UPSPA. The team will hold a union election monitored by the NLRB in the next 20-40 days. If a majority of voting members cast ballots in favor, the patrol team will unionize and move towards negotiating its inaugural labor contract with Powdr, the corporate owner of Eldora.

Patrollers cite turnover as an issue that has grown in recent years, with lack of overtime and compensation failing to meet the surging cost of living in Boulder County and its surrounding areas. However, in a statement provided by the resort, Eldora has calculated its return-rate for ski patrollers to be 85%, which is particularly high for the ski industry. A resort representative reported in a written statement by Eldora that pay amongst Eldora’s ski patrollers follows a competitive model, with patrollers making more per hour based on experience level, additional certifications, years affiliated with Eldora, and overall performance.

Since 2021, Eldora has seen peak visitor numbers skyrocket as a result of expanded parking capacity and unlimited ski days for IKON pass holders. The unionization effort aims to maintain industry standards for hazard and risk management while providing high-quality emergency response to Front Range skiers and snowboarders. Eldora also shared figures that show how staffing at Eldora has been on the rise since the 16/17 season. Since Eldora joined the Ikon pass, it has added 12 patrollers. These are the numbers of paid patrol staff since the 2016/17 season:

• 16/17: 24 paid patrollers
• 17/18: 29 paid patrollers
• 18/19: 30 paid patrollers (inaugural season of Ikon Pass)
• 19/20: 31 paid patrollers
• 20/21: 36 paid patrollers
• 21/22: 39 paid patrollers
• 22/23: 41 paid patrollers
• 23/24: 42 paid patrollers

In its mission statement, EPSPA says: “Eldora is a business, and we wish for it to succeed; we firmly believe that by having a collective voice we will be able to ensure this to the maximum of our abilities. Prosperity in our field is rooted in open communication and honest dialogue, and we see UPSPA membership as the means to this end.”

Eldora provided a statement in response to EPSPA, saying:

Eldora is the backyard winter playground for Boulder County and Colorado’s northern Front Range, and our local guests and staff are the heart of our business. The safety of those guests and staff is our top priority, and our Patrol family is central to this goal. We thank them for their unwavering commitment day in and day out.

Equally, Eldora is committed to treating all of its employees with respect and dignity and to providing them with excellent benefits, optimum working conditions, and competitive wages. We believe that employees deserve a workplace that is built around flexibility, productivity, quality of work life, fairness, the opportunity to directly participate in decisions affecting one’s future, and the opportunity to succeed. 

We are aware that some of our Patrol team members have expressed an interest in forming a union. At Eldora, we believe that the best way to find consensus that results in positive outcomes is by having meaningful dialogue rooted in the history and culture of trust among our employees. We believe a union would not benefit our patrollers, employees, guests, or our company. Regardless, we respect—and will always continue to respect—the legal rights of workers to freely choose third-party representation, as we respect the rights of those who refrain and choose to be free from the restrictions of such activities.

Eldora is committed to equal employment opportunity, treating everyone fairly, and maintaining an environment free of discrimination, harassment, and intimidation. We look forward to continued open, honest, and transparent communication with our Patrol staff.

Recent years in Colorado have seen patrol teams from Breckenridge, Telluride, Purgatory Resort, and Loveland Pass vote to join UPSPA, of which Crested Butte and Steamboat Springs were early members. Eldora Professional Ski Patrol Association would represent nearly 40 employees whose skilled on-mountain expertise is necessary for daily mountain operations.