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

More than two-thirds of American adults approve of labor unions, according to Gallup polling, a level last reached in the 1950s and early 1960s. —Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 23 Nov. 2025

Since then, dozens of immigration judges across the country have been removed from their post, according to International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, a labor union representing immigration judges. —Christopher Cann, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025

Two labor unions associated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters are actively lobbying against the waiver. —Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 18 Nov. 2025

Its client list filed with the Secretary of State’s office includes powerful companies including Amazon and TikTok, Major League Baseball and California’s four MLB teams, labor unions, the California Apartment Association, DraftKings and others. —Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 14 Nov. 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.