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

Since the beginning of Trump’s second term, federal workers across government agencies have been either laid off or asked to voluntarily resign, spurring lawsuits from labor unions and advocacy groups. —Matt Ott, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2025

The strike caused hundreds of Air Canada flight cancellations, impacting travel at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Air Canada flights to and from Phoenix were canceled as a labor union representing flight attendants went on strike. —Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 17 Aug. 2025

But they must be joined by heads of companies, the major universities, the large medical campuses, labor unions, business organizations, environmental groups, and the leading foundations. —Russell Hancock, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2025

The government forced the country’s two major railroads into arbitration with their labor union last year during a work stoppage. —Rob Gillies, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 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.