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.

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labor movement Cultural  

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

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Etymology

Origin of labor movement

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

labor movement

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

“We can see this as part of a broader trend of the labor movement to try to get some strategic leverage,” Higbie said of the unions’ alignment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026

I love her so much — she was a big part of our civil rights and labor movement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2026

But the necessity of having such a counterweight, and the choice of the labor movement as the obvious contender, is getting more bipartisan attention these days than at any time in recent memory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 15, 2025

The fair’s capitulation pumped steam into America’s—and Chicago’s—already-boiling labor movement.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson