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

The government’s latest layoffs are being challenged in court by the American Federation of Government Employees and other national labor unions. —Collin Binkley, Twin Cities, 13 Oct. 2025

Indivisible is putting on No Kings with organizations including the ACLU, 50501, Planned Parenthood, the Sunrise Movement and various labor unions. —Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2025

As a result, service delays are likely, labor unions warn. —Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025

In Italy, protesters took to the streets in cities including Rome, Pisa, Florence, and Turin, and a major Italian labor union has called for a national general strike on Friday, across public and private sectors, in solidarity with the flotilla and the people of Gaza. —Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 1 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.