Skip to main content
labor leader

labor leader

10 3.2
A person who organizes and speaks for workers, often in a union
  • noun
  • /ˈleɪbər ˈliːdər/
  • US
translation icon : líder sindical
  • The labor leader organized a rally to demand fair treatment for all employees.
  • leftist labor leader
  • labor leader and union
  • political and labor leader

Examples

  • During the conference, various labor leaders discussed strategies to enhance workers' rights.

  • Many labor leaders are advocating for better wages and working conditions.

  • Labor leaders called for a general strike... tomorrow.

  • Randolph was the most important black labor leader in America and a major force in the civil rights movement.

    Academic text (1993)
  • The seriousness of this threat was well understood by labor leaders.

    Academic text (2002)
  • As the relationship between the trade unions and the government continued to deteriorate, many labor leaders entered politics full time.

    Academic text (1998)
  • I'm sure we're all aware that my client, Mr. Rojeck, is one of the most respected labor leaders in America today.

  • By then, labor leaders were eagerly predicting that "the female working class" was about to strike as well.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Faced with an inhospitable political environment, labor leaders decided reluctantly to throw their support behind the Social Democratic Party.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Liam Cunningham gives the series' best performance, by far, as the labor leader Big Jim Larkin.

    Blog text (20)

Synonyms

unionist
vslabor leader
19 4.1

A person who belongs to a group of workers that talks with employers

takes active roles guiding worker action rather than mere support
steward
vslabor leader
  • Jargon
12 5.0

A worker elected to represent colleagues in talks with managers about work rights

plays a wider role in union affairs beyond local representation
shop steward
vslabor leader
  • Jargon
3 5.8

A worker chosen by other workers to speak for them to management

works across the movement, not only representing colleagues at work
strike leader
vslabor leader
3 4.7

A person who plans and speaks for workers who stop work for better pay or conditions

coordinates worker activity in general, not only for strikes
union representative
vslabor leader
2 3.7

A person elected by workers to speak for them in talks with managers

involves wider movement coordination and public direction beyond representation
labor organizer
vslabor leader
  • US
2 4.8

A person who helps workers join a union and work together for better pay

directs broader worker activity and strategy beyond recruitment
trade unionist
vslabor leader
1 3.8

A person who helps workers get better pay and safer jobs

focuses on directing worker action rather than only promoting interests

Antonyms

295 1.6

A person who supports a leader and accepts their direction

How Influential

labor leader
  • US
10 3.2
shop steward
  • Jargon
3 5.8

Surface Forms

labor leader singular
labor leaders plural
labour leader singular

Morphology

labor + leader

The meaning 'a person who leads or organizes workers' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'labor' (workers) with 'leader' (person who leads), following a common noun+noun compounding pattern in English. This compositional structure is cross-linguistically common and would be easily understood by a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

The noun labor leader comes from the literal idea of a leader for the people who labor, meaning 'work'. In the past these leaders often organized strikes and talked with employers to get better pay and safer jobs, so today labor leader means someone who organizes and speaks for workers.