Alterra Mountain Co. is facing two proposed class action lawsuits in Colorado after former employees alleged they were routinely denied legally required rest breaks while working at Winter Park Resort and Steamboat Ski Resort. The lawsuits were filed June 10 in Colorado state court by Anthony Esposito and Jodi Bloom and allege that chronic understaffing prevented workers from taking mandatory paid rest breaks. The plaintiffs claim hundreds of similarly situated workers may have been affected.
Esposito worked as a front desk agent at Winter Park Resort from 2023 to 2025. Bloom worked as a bartender and server at the Holiday Inn Steamboat Springs, a property operated by Peregrine Steamboat Management, beginning in June 2025. Both lawsuits allege that employees were regularly denied Colorado’s required 10-minute paid rest breaks for every four hours worked and were never compensated for the missed time.
According to the complaints, staffing levels frequently made uninterrupted breaks impossible. “The nature of plaintiff and class members’ work, including defendants’ systematic understaffing, did not make duty-free, uninterrupted ten-minute rest breaks possible,” the filings state. The lawsuits further allege that employees were forced to continue working in order to meet productivity expectations and operational demands.
Beyond standard wage recovery, both complaints include a civil theft claim under Colorado law — a significant legal escalation that can carry damages beyond what a standard wage violation would typically produce. The claims are filed alongside violations of the Colorado Wage Claim Act and the Colorado Minimum Wage Act.
While the claims have not yet been proven in court, the allegations touch on a challenge familiar throughout the ski industry. Resorts across North America have struggled with staffing shortages since the pandemic, particularly in guest services, food and beverage operations, and hospitality roles where finding housing and retaining seasonal workers has become increasingly difficult.
The cases arrive during a period of increased scrutiny for Alterra Mountain Co., which owns or operates Winter Park, Steamboat, Copper Mountain, Eldora, and numerous other destinations through the Ikon Pass network. Earlier this year, Alterra was also named in a separate federal lawsuit alongside Vail Resorts alleging anti-competitive lift ticket pricing practices. Both companies have disputed those claims.
No class has yet been certified in either of the newly filed Colorado cases. If the lawsuits move forward, they could affect hundreds of workers who were employed at two of Colorado’s best-known ski destinations.
SnowBrains will update this story as more information becomes available.