Synonyms

trade union

American

noun

a labor union of craftspeople or workers in related crafts, as distinguished from general workers or a union including all workers in an industry.
labor union.

trade union British

noun

an association of employees formed to improve their incomes and working conditions by collective bargaining with the employer or employer organizations

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

trade unionism noun
trade unionist noun
trade-union adjective

Etymology

Origin of trade union

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Unite trade union, which has campaigned for the contract to be approved, said the news represented a "tremendous victory" for workers in the aerospace sector.

From BBC

French daily Le Monde said the departure of des Cars became "inevitable" following the burglary as well as trade union strikes pressing for more recruitment, pay and better maintenance of the museum.

From Barron's

Parts of the German business lobby and trade unions, long enthusiastic supporters of free trade, are pushing Berlin to erect barriers to Chinese imports.

From The Wall Street Journal

He forced it to negotiate legalising trade unions -- and, eventually, the first semi-free elections in the Polish People's Republic.

From Barron's

Furthermore, the EU is no longer just a monetary and trade union of nations.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023