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

The bill would also prohibit federal agencies from participating in collective bargaining negotiations with labor unions representing federal workers. —Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025

The American Federation of Teachers, a national labor union representing educators, filed a legal challenge last week, arguing that the administration was unlawfully preventing borrowers from accessing these programs that Congress and loan promissory notes require to be offered. —Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025

Bas, a favorite of the city’s powerful public employee labor unions representing workers outside the Police and Fire departments, was politically aligned with Thao. —East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2025

Others were organized by labor unions, special interest groups, fired federal workers or just frustrated Americans. —Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 20 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.