labor union

noun

Definition of labor union

: 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

In an amicus brief filed through their labor union, the officers urged the federal court to strike the policy down, as The Washington Post reported Thursday. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "Ken Cuccinelli, head of citizenship service, blames migrant father for drowning deaths captured in photo," 28 June 2019 Consumer advocates, labor unions and many Democratic lawmakers worry that the deal could mean job cuts, higher wireless prices and a hit to the rural cellphone market. — Tali Arbel And Mae Anderson, chicagotribune.com, "States try to halt $26.5 billion Sprint-T-Mobile merger with lawsuit," 11 June 2019 Consumer advocates, labor unions and many Democratic lawmakers worry that the deal could mean job cuts, higher wireless prices and a hit to the rural cellphone market. — Mae Anderson, The Denver Post, "Colorado among states suing to stop $26.5 billion Sprint-T-Mobile deal," 11 June 2019 Consumer advocates, labor unions and many Democratic lawmakers worry that the deal could mean job cuts, higher wireless prices and a hit to the rural cellphone market. — Tali Arbel, Fortune, "10 States Are Suing to Block Sprint-T-Mobile Deal," 26 May 2019 John Nunes, the labor union’s president, said Smithfield offered $500 to $1,000 based on an employee’s tenure. — Melia Russell, SFChronicle.com, "Saag’s meatpacking workers to protest severance offer," 14 June 2019 The intervention could also give Sanders some traction when the two dozen Democratic contenders begin to compete for endorsements from the nation’s biggest labor unions. — Laura Litvan, Fortune, "Bernie Sanders Rips 'Grotesque' Greed and 'Starvation Wages' at Walmart Shareholder Meeting," 5 June 2019 The French state and labor unions command six of the 19 votes on Renault SA’s board. — WSJ, "Corrections & Amplifications," 4 June 2019 Steve Kaplan, a labor organizer from Los Angeles who works with the labor union IATSE, also feared the event would be anti-union. — Nick Statt, The Verge, "Game developers look to unions to fix the industry’s exploitative workplace culture," 23 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'labor union.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near labor union

labor theory of value

labor the point

labor under a delusion/misapprehension/misconception

Statistics for labor union

Last Updated

4 Jul 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for labor union

The first known use of labor union was in 1849

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More Definitions for labor union

labor union

noun

Financial Definition of labor union

What It Is

A labor union is an organization that advocates for workers' rights and benefits through collective bargaining.

How It Works

Labor unions represent workers in both the public and private sector. Individual labor unions represent workers in specific industries and function in an intermediary capacity between employers and employees. Unions negotiate directly with employers on employees' behalf with regard to compensation, conditions and working hours.

Workers employed by transportation, shipping and manufacturing companies typically maintain contracts with labor unions. The unions agree to engage employers in collective bargaining in return for union dues withheld from payroll. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters and United Steel Workers are two prominent labor unions in the United States.

Why It Matters

Labor unions protect workers from exploitation and ensure fairness of pay as well as safe, reasonable working conditions. Many economists argue that labor unions have a distortive effect on the labor market that results in decreased efficiency.

Source: Investing Answers

labor union

noun

English Language Learners Definition of labor union

US : an organization of workers formed to protect the rights and interests of its members

See the full definition for labor union in the English Language Learners Dictionary

labor union

noun

Kids Definition of labor union

: an organization of workers formed to help them get better pay and working conditions

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labor union

noun

Legal Definition of labor union

: 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.