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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As part of its investigation, the documents show, DHS obtained the financial records for several nonprofits and labor unions, including the Service Employees International Union and the Communications Workers of America. — Meg Anderson, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026 Vietnamese labor unions were in the thick of it, both blessed by the largess and cursed by the exploitative system. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 24 Aug. 2026 People sometimes blame the shortage of working-class people in office on features of American elections, such as soaring campaign spending or the decline of labor unions. — Nicholas Carnes, The Conversation, 20 Aug. 2026 What began as demonstrations against rising water costs quickly grew into a broad social movement involving Bolivian labor unions, Indigenous organizations, farmers, students, and neighborhood groups. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for labor union

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of labor union was in 1849

Rhymes for labor union

See All Rhymes for labor union

Browse Nearby Words

labor under a delusion/misapprehension/misconception
labor union
Labouchère
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Labor union.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/labor%20union. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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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.

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