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

The city needs to engage in collective bargaining negotiations with the Public Employee Committee, which consists of public employee union representatives and a retiree representative, to make a change in healthcare benefits, Groffenberger wrote. —Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2026

Under the original version of the bill, the union doesn't just have to win a majority of the people who decide to vote – they would now be required to have a majority of every employee in the collective bargaining unit. —Jim Defede, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026

Also, employees who have a contract or are covered by union collective bargaining agreements are not at-will. —Tom Kertscher, jsonline.com, 12 Mar. 2026

That’s a full 17 months after the players opted out of their collective bargaining agreement, five months after the CBA officially expired and just eight weeks before the new season is scheduled to begin. —Sports Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1889, 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