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 closure, which begins Saturday, has been years in the making and included impact-mitigation meetings among California Department of Transportation officials, neighboring communities, shipping companies, labor unions and the contractor. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

And critics warn the restrictions would reach beyond corporate giants, silencing local trade groups, labor unions and community organizations on school bonds, tax measures and other local ballot issues. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026

The labor unions that have called today’s demonstrations in France are demanding higher wages and pensions. — Soph Warnes, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026

Trade labor unions eager for more construction work also backed him. — A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026

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.