A Colorado rafting company loses court battle over minimum wage increase

GRANITE, Colo. (KKTV) -A recent federal court ruling could increase the cost of rafting on the Arkansas River. Colorado river outfitters, including Arkansas Valley Adventures, have lost their legal fight to avoid paying state-mandated minimum wages to their raft guides.

The decision, handed down on April 30 by the federal court, upheld a $15 per hour minimum wage, following an appeal to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year.

The outfitters argued that the wage increase would escalate their operating costs, potentially leading to higher prices for customers and fewer available trips. The government contends that higher wages will boost worker productivity and improve service quality.

“You know, we’re going to pay you twice as much but guess what, we don’t have any work. It wouldn’t help us. We didn’t want that. We wanted an exemption. We wanted to understand our situation, and that just didn’t happen,” said Arkansas Valley Adventures owner Duke Bradford.

For those planning to go water rafting, expect some changes. Increased labor costs may lead outfitters to raise their rates, and some may reduce the number of trips offered, affecting the availability of rafting adventures.

“We work very hard to pay our staff as best we can. And I think you know, when you work closely with people you want that right. This isn’t about that, but we also don’t want to lose the ability to do overnights because the federal government, the Department of Labor, steps in and mandates a rule that would do away with that,” said Bradford.

The state’s rafting outfitters association Executive Director David Costlow says the need for Congress to legislate rather than leaving it to government agencies and affirmed their intention to continue the legal battle.

Click here to read the court’s decision.

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