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

After a multi-year push by labor unions, San Diego County has become the first county in California to implement a controversial pension plan that allows some staff to collect their salaries and pensions at the same time. —Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026

This coalition was built through years of organizing, through mosque networks, through labor unions, through the economic leverage of the bazaar. —Narges Bajoghli, Time, 13 Jan. 2026

The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment — which includes the film office, NYC Media, press credential office and programs and initiatives — oversees tasks such as coordinating with labor unions as well as permitting, licensing and incentives for filming in the city. —Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 12 Jan. 2026

Rafael Espinal, who led the Freelancer’s Union for the last five years, has been tapped to lead the Mamdani administration’s Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), which coordinates with labor unions and studio production in the city. —Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 12 Jan. 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.