Employers and Unions Talk Retraining, Just Not in Contracts

Businesses and unions often talk about skills development but are increasingly failing to address retraining in collective bargaining agreements.

In 2019, only 3 percent of employers’ contracts included language on worker retraining programs, down sharply from most of the past 20 years, including a peak of 20 percent in 2011, according to results of a Bloomberg Law survey.

That could spell trouble for companies seeking skilled employees, as well as workers themselves.

Some employers in the manufacturing industry are forced to turn away work if they can’t properly fill job openings with workers equipped with the proper skills, said Chad ...