The April 18 Viewpoint, “Studies Show That Unions Work,” misses the mark. In fact, the hypothesis on which it is based with regard to training and productivity is wrong.
All successful contractors prioritize training. According to the Construction Industry Institute’s “Research Summary 231 on Craft Training in the United States and Canada,” a trained construction workforce is more productive and has lower turnover, absenteeism, injuries and rework than a less trained or unqualified one. Today’s construction industry demands formal training that incorporates diverse and flexible training methodologies to accommodate how current and future generations of craft professionals learn. Our free-market economy and the freedom to advance on merit is the basis of competency-based education.