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

Peltola is a gun-owning, fish-catching Alaska-bush native, who has worked for mines and supports oil drilling, and is allied with the state’s largest labor unions. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026

The party’s pick García has led the field in fundraising, far outpacing Hershey and Castillo and edging out Getty with support from congressional Democrats, left-leaning political action committees and labor unions. — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026

The protests broadened as France’s CGT labor union and other activists joined in while students paused for a fall break. — Teresa Medrano, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

An international communist organization whose French publication Le Bolchévik called on labor unions to mobilize in support of the school protests. — Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 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.