The Telluride Ski Patrol Union voted Thursday to accept the Telluride Ski Resort\u2019s contract proposal, ending a nearly two-week strike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfter long and lengthy discussion, we voted in favor of ratifying a new contract with TSG. This was our first non-unanimous ratification,\u201d said Graham Hoffman, president of the Telluride Ski Patrol Union and a ski patroller who has worked at Telluride for 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hoffman said that while the vote was not unanimous, the contract passed smoothly with strong support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs in any compromise, no side gets exactly what they want, and we\u2019re grateful of the movement that TSG made in the last couple days. We\u2019re grateful and we\u2019re incredibly proud of where we ended up,\u201d Hoffman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He noted the new contract does not fully address the union\u2019s concerns about establishing a sustainable wage structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are still fighting and dismayed that we were unable to secure a fair, equitable wage structure that speaks to a sustainable, safe, and secure future for new and experienced patrollers. We will continue to advocate for that,\u201d Hoffman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hoffman added that discussions about patrol wages will continue beyond this contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re kicking a different can down the road. We\u2019re grateful for where we ended up. We\u2019re humbled for the support we received. But this is still something that\u2019s a serious concern of ours and it\u2019s something that needs to be addressed. We hope we\u2019re able to address that the next go around,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hoffman said the union will not be discussing details of the compensation package included in the contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have been willing to be fully transparent and we have borne our wages to the public down to the penny, and I think we\u2019ve had enough of people arguing over what is the perceived value of our lives. So, we will not be sharing our wage and benefits package,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After 13 days on strike, Hoffman said ski patrollers are eager to return to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking forward to serving as the Telluride Ski Patrol once again. We\u2019re looking forward to getting as much of this mountain open as quickly as we can. We will do our best to safely do so,\u201d Hoffman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He thanked community members who supported the patrol during contract negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEveryone who has reached out, who has sent quiet or loud symbols, signs, or letters of support, we are so grateful. We know this was a bit divisive in the community, but we\u2019re incredibly grateful of everyone who has supported us and we will look to support the community in turn moving forward,\u201d Hoffman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hoffman acknowledged the strike caused what he described as \u201cugly rifts\u201d and said he hopes the community can heal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think it also exposed some ugly truths that we\u2019re going to have to grapple with as a community. I think it exposed a bit of an ugly underbelly of what is a broken system, and what is breaking down here in town. We hope that we\u2019ll be able to heal and move forward,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a statement, Steve Swenson of Telluride Ski Resort said the company is \u201cdelighted\u201d the parties reached an agreement. The resort thanked the community for its patience during negotiations and said it is excited for the rest of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Telluride Ski Resort said it plans to open Chair 4 on Saturday, Jan. 10, along with Butterfly, Lower Misty Maiden and Boomerang runs. The resort\u2019s next goal is to open the Super Loop, with additional lifts and terrain to follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The Telluride Ski Patrol Union accepted a contract from the Telluride Ski Resort ending a nearly two-week strike.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":8727,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true},"news-category":[514],"news-tag":[],"class_list":["post-8875","news","type-news","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-category-featured-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n