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

Workers at Samsung Electronics walk out for the first time ever A labor union at Samsung Electronics in South Korea said many workers went on strike Friday, marking the first such walkout in the smartphone and chipmaking giant’s 55-year history, report my colleagues Yoonjung Seo and Diksha Madhok. —Krystal Hur, CNN, 10 June 2024

Unite Here Local 11, a labor union representing service workers in Southern California, which is active in local politics, gathered signatures for the recall and campaigned to remove Rubalcava from office. —Michael Slaten, Orange County Register, 5 June 2024

Scott also received top donations from several labor unions. —Emily Opilo, Baltimore Sun, 20 May 2024

Independent labor unions are banned, and would-be organizers are detained by the police. —Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 14 May 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.