Arapahoe Basin Ski Patrol Secures First Union Contract After 15 Months
Unionized ski patrollers at Colorado’s Arapahoe Basin have secured their first contract 15 months after officially unionizing in January of 2025.
Like many ski patrol units that voted to unionize on the heels of Park City Mountain Resort’s historic strike in December of 2024, A-Basin patrollers sought out more competitive pay, better benefits, and a path towards career longevity in their contract.
Ratified on October, 3, 2026, the new contract will increase wages for unionized patrollers under a new system that divides them into three tiers (rather than five) of experience and skill, with the baseline wage set higher than before.
In addition, the contract outlines a wage-increase structure based on a patroller’s knowledge, experience, and additional responsibilities. Skills such as toboggan training specialist, avalanche dog handler, and Advanced Life Support (ALS) provider certifications will see hourly wage increases as a result of the contract. Both of these stipulations work against wage compression for experienced patrollers, which has been an ongoing topic of conversation among ski patrol units that have unionized.
Skill-based wage increases also create new pathways for long-term careers in patrol. With the opportunity to earn more money through advanced skills and certifications, patrollers are more incentivized to pursue further education in areas such as avalanche control, rescue, and emergency medicine. The result is not just less wage compression, but a more experienced, cohesive ski patrol unit.
The union contract also protects full-time patrollers from losing benefits like health, dental, and vision insurance, and, in one of the more unique facets of A-Basin’s contract, also does so for avalanche dogs. A-Basin has several A-level avalanche dog handlers, whose working dogs will now receive pet insurance and be reimbursed for dog food under the new contract. A new canine program leader position was also outlined to better support avalanche dog teams and help ensure the continued success of A-Basin’s dog program.
The new contract also guarantees a 3% annual cost-of-living adjustment. According to the Denver Gazette, the cost of living increased almost 10% in Summit County, where many Arapahoe Basin employees live, between 2022 and 2023, and the median home price increased by 30% between the middle of 2023 and 2024.
Arapahoe Basin Ski Patrol joins other Summit County resorts like Breckenridge, Keystone, and Loveland’s unionized patrol units and the United Mountain Workers 7781. Crested Butte ski patrol and lift maintenance, Steamboat, Telluride, Eldora, and Purgatory all have ski patrol unions.
A-Basin opened for the 2026/27 season on October 28, 2026 and was the first resort in Colorado to open for the season. Keystone and Wolf Creek opened soon after, although Wolf Creek subsequently closed due to flooding and evacuation orders in southwestern Colorado.
The 2026/27 print issue of POWDER Magazine is here. Click here to have a copy shipped to your front door. Copies can also be found on newsstands at major retailers like Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, and more.
Related: Are Boys Trips or Girls Trips Better? We Found Out at Grand Targhee
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