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

That union effort, during which the West Coast ports labor union, the ILWU, did not cross picket lines, was successful. —Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2024

The union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, was the first Black American labor union to sign a collective bargaining agreement with a major U.S. corporation. —Malaika Jabali, Essence, 2 Sep. 2024

The head of Israel's Histadrut labor union, Arnon Bar-David, called on all civilian workers to join a nationwide strike Monday and said Ben Gurion airport, Israel's main air transport hub, would be closed after 8 a.m. —Susan Miller, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2024

During his second term, his Administration negotiated and signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an ambitious free-trade agreement that encountered strong opposition from labor unions, environmental groups, and other skeptics of globalization. —John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

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.