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

Example Sentences

Yahoo reported recently that the SEC is studying how a world with collective bargaining might work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

Doing so would be a violation of Article 13 of the NBA collective bargaining agreement, punishable by a $4.5-million fine, the loss of a first-round draft pick and the voiding of Leonard’s contract.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

Baseball’s current collective bargaining agreement expires about a month after the World Series, at which point owners are all but certain to initiate a lockout that could threaten the 2027 season.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

A day after that, the NFL and the referees union announced a new collective bargaining agreement that brought the regular officials back for that weekend’s games.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 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