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

About 15,000 are employed in California, providing services ranging from fire prevention to veterans’ care, according to the lawsuit filed by the coalition of labor unions and nonprofit organizations that represent parks, veterans and small businesses. —Lindsay Whitehurst, Twin Cities, 14 Mar. 2025

The order reinstates Susan Grundmann as a member of the Federal Labor Management Authority, a panel that is becoming increasingly important as Trump’s administration attempts to thwart federal workers’ labor unions and lay off massive numbers of employees. —Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2025

There are no labor unions at TSMC's operations in Taiwan, and engineers there have often reported working long hours and weekend shifts. —Ashish Valentine, NPR, 12 Mar. 2025

China’s far distance ahead of the U.S. in shipbuilding capabilities along with the countries’ rocky trade relationship have provided the driving subtext throughout the probe, which was spurred on by a petition from five labor unions. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 12 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for labor union

• antiunion
• communion
• disunion
• nonunion

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.