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labor union

labor union

45 2.7
An organized group of workers that negotiates with employers for better pay and working conditions
  • noun
  • /ˈleɪbər ˈjunɪn/
  • US
translation icon : sindicato
  • The municipal labor unions broke off talks demanding that the city withdraw what they call their outrageous and irresponsible contract proposals.
  • labor union leader
  • labor union laws
  • power of labor unions

For example, the New Deal was investing government money in propping up business, in propping up labor unions.

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Examples

  • Contract talks have ended temporarily between the city and its labor union with both sides making some angry charges.

  • Cesar became famous for his work as the leader of a labor union.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • His left wing movement, known as Peronism, drew support from labor unions, the poor and the working classes.

  • Labor unions slowly organized meatpacking workers and turned it into one of the best industrial jobs in the United States.

  • The historical record is much the same on wages, labor unions, and collective bargaining.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Bolivia's privatization program, too, was sidetracked because of strong labor union opposition.

    Academic text (1993)
  • The labor union organized a strike to negotiate better working conditions for its members.

  • The labor union has successfully negotiated a new contract that provides better wages and benefits for workers.

  • After the recent negotiations, the labor union announced a tentative agreement with the company on key issues.

Synonyms

union
vslabor union
2.3

A group of workers who act together to protect pay and rights

is the general term that emphasizes negotiation rather than formal bargaining
trade union
vslabor union
12 2.8

A group of workers who protect rights and talk with employers about pay and work conditions

focuses more broadly on protecting rights beyond employment conditions

Antonyms

791 2.7

A person or company that hires people to work for them

658 2.7

People who run and make decisions for a company or organization

How Powerful

labor agreement
  • Formal
3 3.2
labor union
  • US
45 2.7
union
3.3
committee
3.2

Surface Forms

labor union singular
labor unions plural
labour unions plural
labour union singular

Morphology

labor + union

Both constituents directly name the relevant concepts: 'labor' = workers and 'union' = an organization of workers. A B1 learner who knows these words will readily infer 'labor union' as an organization of workers that represents them (a compositional, cross-linguistically common construction).

Etymology

Labor union comes from the simple image of many workers joining together: labor means the workers and union means a joining. When workers 'stand together' they are stronger to bargain with employers, so the phrase came to mean an organization that 'protects workers' rights'.