collective bargaining

noun

: negotiation between an employer and a labor union usually on wages, hours, and working conditions

Examples of collective bargaining in a Sentence

The next round of collective bargaining is scheduled for September.

Recent Examples on the Web

Agencies can disapprove collective bargaining agreements for a short period after they are ratified by unions, but that period has expired for the contracts at issue in the lawsuit. —Daniel Wiessner, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025

The Office of Personnel Management cited the order in a memo instructing agencies to terminate their collective bargaining agreements, or CBAs. —Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025

The current collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2025 season because last year, in hopes of capitalizing on the wave of interest in their game, the W.N.B.A. players voted to end the agreement early. —Tania Ganguli, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025

Meanwhile, negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement need to be done before the 2026 season to avoid a work stoppage. —Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

collective bargaining

noun

: discussion between an employer and union representatives over wages, hours, and working conditions

Legal Definition

collective bargaining

noun

: negotiation between an employer and a labor union usually on wages, benefits, hours, and working conditions see also bargaining agent at agent, bargaining unit, Labor Management Relations Act