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

On March 24, the Board of Supervisors, led by Supervisor Margaret Abe Koga with support and input from our county’s labor unions, ordered a comprehensive study on AI use across county departments, to set guidelines so future technology solutions improve jobs instead of replacing them. —Maria Noel Fernandez, Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2026

The Municipal Employees Association, the city’s largest labor union, blames much of the budget crisis on a sharp jump since 2015 in the number of middle managers in roles such as program coordinators and program managers. —David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026

Thus this is intrinsically a story of class differences, involving labor unions and labor relations in general. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026

Musk’s tenure was criticized by labor unions, government employees and Democrats for bypassing laws and regulations. —David Ingram, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026

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.