open shop

American  

noun

1. a factory, office, or other business establishment in which a union, chosen by a majority of the employees, acts as representative of all the employees in making agreements with the employer, but in which union membership is not a condition of employment.

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open shop British  

noun

1. an establishment in which persons are hired and employed irrespective of their membership or nonmembership of a trade union Compare closed shop union shop

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open shop Cultural  

1. A business that employs both unionized and nonunionized labor.

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Other Word Forms

• anti-open-shop noun
• open-shop adjective

Etymology

Origin of open shop

First recorded in 1895–1900

Compare meaning

How does open-shop compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• open shop vs. closed shop

Example Sentences

“People are buying bottled water, milk and eggs,” said Luz Pérez, a guard at one of the few open shops, not far from La Carlota airport, one of the sites targeted by U.S. strikes.

From Los Angeles Times

The company also plans to open shops at Galeries Lafayette department stores in the cities of Dijon, Reims, Grenoble, Angers and Limoges.

From Barron's

"People had taken loans to open shops and buy taxis, now everyone is staring at an uncertain future. What's happened to our paradise," he asks.

From BBC

He’s already alluded to a reelection campaign, saying it might take more time to reestablish his hometown as a city where every tourist wants to visit and every business wants to open shop.

From Los Angeles Times

Critics blame New York’s slow retail growth partly on bureaucratic issues, like delays in setting up a $200 million “social equity” fund to help applicants open shops.

From Seattle Times