Arapahoe Basin patrollers takes step towards unionizing at Colorado ski area

A skier makes her way down the slopes at Arapahoe Basin in Colorado on June 16, 2024.

Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Arapahoe Basin ski patroller Kali Flaherty said it’s a matter of establishing a unified voice to bring to the negotiating table with the resort. The sale of Arapahoe Basin was just solidified Tuesday morning to Altera Mountain Company, a ski giant that owns many resorts, including Steamboat Springs and Winter Park, and is famous for the Ikon Pass. Flaherty said that’s not the motivating factor for them to look for a union, nor is the issue with the ski mountain itself. Flaherty said the culture there is a main reason she works there.

“We have a great product now, I do love the community we have now,” Flaherty said. “I think it is just about elevating that experience for people.”

Flaherty said by making sure the ski patrollers are taken care of, the guests to the mountain will be taken care of, too. So what will they ask for should they get unionized? The specifics are not well mapped out, but it could be anything between improving working conditions, compensation and the overall well-being of the staff.

“I would say that the goal is to elevate our experience so we can elevate the guest experience,” Flaherty said.

This was not an effort to say Arapahoe Basin is not a good place to work. Flaherty said she chose this mountain specifically because of the culture there.

“It has that hometown, close-knit community and I think that all of our patrols are pointed at making sure we can bring that community together through that ski experience,” Flaherty said. “I do think that we have a great product, it is just about being able to create a team environment for us where we can go out and safely say ‘We have all our resources, all of our people that we need, all of the educational resources we might want to pursue, and elevating that for ourselves.”

The petition was open to worker for about two weeks, according to Flaherty. Next, the team plans to meet with CWA representatives to explain the process before bringing the decision to a vote for employees, which is expected to take about 6 weeks.