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

While the night celebrated Mamdani’s coalition of Democratic Socialist of America leaders, labor union heads, and activists, the rally also reflected how far Mamdani had come from an unknown, leftist state assemblyman, polling under one percent, to a darling of the Democratic mainstream. —Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025

Aided by his wife of neo-Broadway fame, Evita, Peron gave the government a much greater role in the economy, establishing labor unions and extensive social benefits. —Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025

Gus Papathanasiou, the head of the labor union for the United States Capitol Police, said his colleagues, on their second pay period without a check, are feeling the financial pressure. —Joey Garrison, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025

The local labor union calls for a strike but as the work stoppage drags on and the strikers face losing everything, friends become enemies, families are divided, and the very future of this typical mid-American town is threatened. —Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 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.