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

As the the absurdist heist comedy unfolds, the shoplifters—or boosters—realize they can become part of a global labor movement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026

Many officials expressed a desire to continue honoring the wider farmworker labor movement, even while minimizing Chavez as an individual figure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026

Villaraigosa frequently spoke about his roots in the labor movement, including a farmworker boycott when he was 15 years old.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2026

Today, the U.S. labor movement is a shadow of its former self.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 15, 2025

Second, my contact with the labor movement and its ideology made me see Bigger clearly and feel what he meant.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright