trade union

American  

noun

• trade unions
  plural

1. a labor union of craftspeople or workers in related crafts, as distinguished from general workers or a union including all workers in an industry.

2. labor union.

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trade union British  

noun

1. an association of employees formed to improve their incomes and working conditions by collective bargaining with the employer or employer organizations

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• trade unionism
  noun
• trade unionist
  noun
• trade-union
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• trade unions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of trade union

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trade union

James Large from trade union Unison said people needed to be listened to.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

“We have demanded more agents and more resources for many years,” said Rachid Sbihi, the spokesman for the trade union representing the civilian police force in Ceuta.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

The partnership will allow the two automakers to reduce production costs at the Valencia site, which assembled fewer than 100,000 vehicles in 2025, its lowest output on record, according to the UGT Ford trade union.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

After a lawsuit by the Verdi trade union two years ago, a court banned automated shops that operate without personnel from opening on Sundays.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

This was a wonderful honor, to be sure, and my rivals were none other than Princess Anne and the trade union leader Jack Jones.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela