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

Education Austin is a labor union representing Austin district employees. —Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025

Individual labor unions such as the Writers Guild of America and the Communication Workers of America have been especially active in ensuring that their members have a say in the implementation of AI at work. —Shalin Jyotishi, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025

European labor unions and the United Nations’ International Labor Organization are also pushing for a more coordinated international approach to handling the impact of rising temperatures on workers. —Trisha Thomas, Fortune, 24 July 2025

United Farm Workers, the labor union who brought the April case against Border Patrol, would not yet say if the enforcement was a violation of the injunction. —Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 19 July 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.