: talks between an employer and the leaders of a union about how much a group of workers will be paid, how many hours they will work, etc.
The next round of collective bargaining is scheduled for September.
—often used before another nounthe collective bargaining process
collective bargaining talks
a collective bargaining agreement
Cite this Entry
“Collective bargaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/collective%20bargaining. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
Copy Citation
