labor movement

American  

noun

1. labor unions collectively.

   The labor movement supported the bill.

2. the complex of organizations and individuals supporting and advocating improved conditions for labor.

3. the effort of organized labor and its supporters to bring about improved conditions for the worker, as through collective bargaining.

   Their activities proved more harmful than helpful to the labor movement.

---

labor movement Cultural  

1. The movement of workers for better treatment by employers, particularly through the formation of labor unions.

---

Etymology

Origin of labor movement

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

labor movement

He has led strikes on the three Detroit automakers and become a prominent voice in the wider labor movement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

As the the absurdist heist comedy unfolds, the shoplifters—or boosters—realize they can become part of a global labor movement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026

While working as a room service server at a hotel, he helped unionize his workplace and became active in the labor movement.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

One of his accusers, Dolores Huerta, was another UFW co-founder and a prominent figure in the Hispanic labor movement herself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026

Since the 1890s, the first of May, known as May Day, had been celebrated with parades, many of them organized by the labor movement.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler