Archive · 8 Jan 2026
Ski Instructors Strike Over Rising Costs
Ski instructors and patrollers at several big ski resorts in the U.S. are going on strike.
They say their pay isn't enough to live in these expensive mountain towns.
The strikes have caused some resorts to close temporarily.
The workers want higher wages to match the high cost of housing and living in these areas.
Some towns are trying to find other activities for visitors while the strikes continue.
This is part of a bigger problem where workers in these towns struggle to afford to live there.
Ski instructors and patrollers at major U.S. resorts are striking over wages and cost of living.
Telluride Ski Resort partially closed due to a strike by its unionized patrollers.
Starting wages for ski patroller trainees are $21 per hour, which workers say is insufficient.
Housing costs in ski towns are extremely high, with subsidies needed to build affordable units.
Strikes have also occurred at Jackson Hole, Park City, and three Colorado resorts.
- Who
- Ski instructors and patrollers at major U.S. resorts
- What
- Strikes and unionization efforts over wages and cost of living
- When
- Recent strikes in December 2023 and early 2025
- Where
- Telluride, Jackson Hole, Park City, Keystone, Eldora, Arapahoe Basin
- Why
- Inadequate wages compared to high cost of living in ski resort towns
- Location
- Telluride, Colorado; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Park City, Utah; Keystone, Eldora, Arapahoe Basin, Colorado
- Starting Wage
- $21 per hour for ski patroller trainees at Telluride
- Union Proposal
- Increased base rate to $41/hour for station leads with annual cost-of-living increases
- Housing Costs
- $150,000 in subsidies to build one affordable housing unit in Breckenridge
- Impact
- Resorts partially closed, towns scrambling for alternative activities