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 She was elected last year after working for years as a labor union leader. —

Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023 The automaker still plans to open the new facility on target in 2026 despite recent production halts during the UAW labor union strike last month. —

Umar Shakir, The Verge, 22 Nov. 2023 Politicians, including many Republicans, widely acknowledge that the decline of labor unions has been correlated with lower or stagnating wages and rising income inequality. —

Robin Kaiser-Schatzlein, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023 The confrontation occurred during a hearing on labor unions in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. —

Stefan Becket, CBS News, 14 Nov. 2023 Hollywood labor unions, including the Writers Guild, Directors Guild, and crew unions issued a statement Friday urging Hollywood studios and streamers to resume negotiations immediately and address performers’ needs. —

Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2023 The last-minute scramble reflects the collision of two of Biden’s chief goals: countering China and marching in lockstep with labor unions. —

Tyler Pager, Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2023 The contract with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the labor union that covers truck drivers, hairstylists and film editors among many other behind-the-scenes jobs, expires in July. —

Nicole Sperling, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023 In June, Council President Sean Elo-Rivera and Councilmembers Joe La Cava, Kent Lee, Monica Montgomery Steppe and Vivian Moreno voted to approve the agreement reached with the two labor unions. —

Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'labor union.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of labor union was in 1849

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Labor union.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/labor%20union. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Copy Citation

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.