unionization

American  

[yoon-yuh-nahy-zey-shuhn] / ˌjun jə naɪˈzeɪ ʃən /

especially British, unionisation

noun

1. the act or process of bringing workers into a labor union, an organization for dealing collectively with employers.

   The decline of unionization has contributed to the rise of economic inequality in the United States over the past several decades.

2. the process of subjecting an industry, profession, or region to the regulations of one or more labor unions.

   He sees the dawning unionization of Silicon Valley as an ominous development.

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Etymology

Origin of unionization

unioniz(e) ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )

Example Sentences

Amazon continues to contest a 2022 unionization vote by employees at its Staten Island facility, with its petition for review currently before a federal appeals court.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

The National Labor Relations Board will not review a certification vote by Whole Foods Market employees at a store in Philadelphia, rebuffing an effort by the Amazon.com-owned grocery chain to halt the unionization.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

On a Reddit-style social media site called Moltbook, Moltbots seem to autonomously interact with one another, discussing everything from poetry to unionization.

From Slate • May 25, 2026

The labor leader cofounded what became the United Farm Workers union alongside Huerta, and was most known for a series of strikes and protests that grew unionization efforts across California.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026

Given the power of the mill owners, it is not surprising that unionization efforts were, in the words of one knowledgeable commentator, “mere foam before passing gusts.”

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• unification