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

The District 26 seat has captured the attention of labor unions and corporations that have spent nearly $3.7 million on the race through Oct. 30. —Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024

Advertisement Kerr spent 34 years as a fire captain with the Orange County Fire Authority and served 17 years as president of the Orange County Professional Firefighters Assn., a labor union that represents 800 firefighters. —Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024

Union workers make up 1 in 5 voters in three battleground states, according to the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of labor groups in the U.S. Historically, labor unions have been allies with Democratic politicians. —Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY, 27 Oct. 2024

Actor Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, the labor union that represents thousands of Hollywood actors, was among the signatories. —Angela Yang, NBC News, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

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.