labor union

noun

: an organization of workers formed for the purpose of advancing its members' interests in respect to wages, benefits, and working conditions

members of a labor union with job protection under a collective bargaining agreement with the employer

—Seth Sandronsky

Examples of labor union in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But labor unions worry that driving jobs might be lost to the technology. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024

Many in the crowd wore shirts identifying themselves with labor unions that have lined up behind Harris and for weeks have played an outsized role in mobilizing voters. —Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 31 Oct. 2024

This is the case with most labor unions: The Democrats portray themselves as the party of organized labor, yet the majority of rank and file is in Trump's camp, even as the national leadership continues to endorse the Democratic candidate. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024

These frameworks have been championed by NGOs, labor unions and community groups to make good food much less expensive at point of sale. —Errol Schweizer, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

labor union

noun

: an organization of workers formed to protect the rights and advance the interests of its members concerning wages, benefits, and working conditions

Legal Definition

labor union

noun

: a labor organization usually consisting of workers of the same trade that is formed for the purpose of advancing its members' interests (as through collective bargaining) in respect to wages, benefits, and working conditions see also craft union, bargaining unit

Note: Labor unions and employers are subject to the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA or Wagner Act), as amended by the Labor Management Relations (Taft-Hartley) Act and the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure (Landrum-Griffin) Act. The NLRA authorized the establishment of the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency which administers the provisions of the Act.