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

Its parent company, call center giant Teleperformance, was accused of trying to surveil remote workers and subsequently reached an agreement with a labor union federation over its surveillance practices. —Huo Jingnan, NPR, 3 May 2026

Supporters of a rescue including labor unions representing Spirit’s pilots, flight attendants and ramp workers said a collapse would put thousands of Americans out of work and hurt consumers by reducing airline competition and increasing airfares. —Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 2 May 2026

After about 90 minutes of speeches outside City Hall, demonstrators marched through Center City, led by some of the city's largest labor unions. —Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 2 May 2026

May 1, known as May Day and widely celebrated by labor unions across the United States, is, in part, tied to the May 4, 1886, Haymarket Affair in Chicago. —Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 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.