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The ski patrol union at Eldora Mountain, Colorado has ratified its first contract, securing major wage and benefit gains for mountain workers ahead of the 2025/26 ski season.
Eldora’s ski patrol union has officially ratified its first collective agreement with parent company POWDR Corp., marking a milestone moment for ski area workers and the growing ski patrol union movement across North America.
After 13 months of negotiations, the patrol unit announced on October 30, 2025, that members voted 26–0 in favor of ratifying the new contract, just weeks before Eldora’s November 14 opening.
“While only a first step in our mission to redefine compensation for mountain employees, we are thrilled to have set up a solid foundation on which to build,” the Eldora Ski Patrol Union stated on social media.
The agreement delivers a 19% average wage increase after union dues, with rookie patrollers starting at $24.50/hour plus an extra $1/hour for EMT certification. Third-year patrollers will now have a clear pathway to earning $30/hour or more, with no wage cap. Patrollers holding paramedic certifications will see increases exceeding 30%, starting between $31–$33/hour.
Other benefits include overtime pay after 40 hours per week, a $300 monthly healthcare reimbursement, and equipment stipends of up to $1,100 per year for full-time patrollers. The contract also adds paid training opportunities, a formal grievance process, and incentive pay for avalanche training, lift evacuation expertise, and weather coordination.
Eldora’s achievement follows a wave of ski patrol union victories across the U.S. West. The Solitude Ski Patrol Union ratified a similar agreement in July 2025, building on the momentum created by the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Union, which secured its own landmark deal the previous winter.
As the 2025/26 ski season approaches, the Eldora contract signals a turning point—proof that collective action can help ski patrollers build sustainable, respected careers in mountain safety.
