unionize

American  

[yoon-yuh-nahyz] / ˈyun yəˌnaɪz /

especially British, unionise

verb (used with object)

unionized, unionizing

1. to organize into a labor union; bring into or incorporate in a labor union.

2. to subject to the rules of a labor union.

3. Obsolete. to form into a union.

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verb (used without object)

unionized, unionizing

1. to join in a labor union.

2. Obsolete. to form a union.

unionize British  

/ ˈjuːnjəˌnaɪz /

verb

1. to organize (workers) into a trade union

2. to join or cause to join a trade union

3. (tr) to subject to the rules or codes of a trade union

4. to join or become joined in marriage or civil partnership

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Other Word Forms

• overunionize verb
• unionization noun
• unionizer noun

Etymology

Origin of unionize

First recorded in 1835–45; union + -ize

Example Sentences

Actress Brooke Shields, the president of Actors’ Equity, said, “Negotiating a first contract is always a challenge, and in this case, we had no other unionized escape rooms to use for a model.”

From Los Angeles Times

In reality, such meetings allow businesses to provide their side of the story, which employees deserve to hear before voting to unionize.

From The Wall Street Journal

The bakery shut down in 1969 because the founder did not want his company to unionize, The Times once reported.

From Los Angeles Times

The actors' strike notched an agreement that protects unionized background workers from the unauthorized replication of their image by artificial intelligence.

From Barron's

But when the Dodgers emailed their roughly 55 tour guides Wednesday to say they were getting the pay raise they sought during a failed attempt to unionize, there must have been more smiles than frowns.

From Los Angeles Times