KEYSTONE, Colo. — Keystone Ski Patrol employees announced this week a renewed push to unionize, as workers in Colorado’s mountain towns continue to struggle to make ends meet in the places they work.
In an announcement, the Keystone Ski Patrol Union (KSPU) said a majority of patrollers joined the move to file for union representation with the United Professional Ski Patrols of America and have asked Keystone management for “voluntary recognition of their union.”
"Keystone ski patrollers face a lack of affordable housing, stagnated wages, and limited resources,” KSPU said in its announcement. “This leads to many patrollers not seeing a future in their work, which makes retention difficult. The KSPU is meant to give Keystone patrollers a voice to advocate for a better future and a seat at the table to discuss what that means for the longevity of patrol as a viable career.”
Ski Patroller Cory Cavegn, who has worked at Keystone Resort for six years, said he and his coworkers have been priced out of the community in which they are employed. He feels a change is desperately needed for long-term success at the resort.
“This is a hard lifestyle to maintain, and that means that people come and go a lot. Our retention is not great,” Cavegn said. “We see people come, go through a lot of training, spend a lot of time. We put a lot of energy into them. And then the following year, or maybe two years, they leave, and it’s because they can’t maintain their life with the compensation they’re receiving. And the downfall of that is that we have a less well-trained staff.”
Cavegn, who signed the petition to seek union status, believes it will be an important step for representation and ultimately better pay. He said he has lived in employee housing and even out of his truck in past seasons. He now has his own place but said it costs him an entire paycheck each month in rent.
“We all love our jobs and like the people we work with,” Cavegn said. “But it really comes down to being able to sustain this as a job and a career.”
In a statement to Denver7, Keystone Resort General Manager Chris Sorensen said he and his team “care deeply” about their employees and have increased wages and benefits in recent years. Sorensen said he’s “committed to continuing this work.”
“While we respect our employees’ right to seek to organize, we genuinely believe that the best way to foster an inclusive culture where all employees feel empowered and heard is to have a direct, open relationship,” Sorensen said in the statement. “We will continue to do the right thing for our team members, regardless of a union.”
This isn’t the first time the Keystone Ski Patrol has tried to unionize. An attempt in 2021 failed by just one vote. But Cavegn said he and his coworkers have watched other ski patrols unionize and see wage gains in the years since, and he expects a successful vote this year. That vote will likely come in the next few weeks.
“It’s really just about creating a better life for our patrollers and giving us the opportunity to make this a career and make this a job that is sustainable,” Cavegn said. “Because right now, it just isn’t.”
