collective bargaining

American  

noun

1. the process by which wages, hours, rules, and working conditions are negotiated and agreed upon by a union with an employer for all the employees collectively whom it represents.

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collective bargaining British  

noun

1. negotiation between one or more trade unions and one or more employers or an employers' organization on the incomes and working conditions of the employees

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collective bargaining Cultural  

1. Negotiations by representatives of a group of employees, often a labor union, pertaining to conditions of employment, such as wages and working conditions.

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Etymology

Origin of collective bargaining

First recorded in 1890–95

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

collective bargaining

Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, and both sides are gearing up for what could be a long fight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2026

A longtime labor attorney, Levine was MLB’s primary negotiator on the 1996 collective bargaining agreement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026

That approach would allow players to sue MLB on antitrust grounds and argue that outside of a collective bargaining framework, the lockout is an illegal group boycott.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026

At the event at the Ironworkers Training Center in La Palma organized by labor leaders to oppose the wealth tax, apprentices attended workshops about rigging and collective bargaining rights.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

After collective bargaining failed, Carnegie shut down its Homestead plant and locked out the union workers.

From "Fannie Never Flinched" by Mary Cronk Farrell

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