noun · neutral

union

/ˈjuːniən/U·ni·on

Band 7+speakingtask2

an organization representing workers that negotiates with employers about pay and working conditions

Examples

The union negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement with the company.

Membership in the union gave workers a stronger voice on safety issues.

Strikes called by the union disrupted transport services for several days.

Band 8 sentence

Strong unions can improve workplace safety by negotiating enforceable standards and monitoring compliance.

Collocations

  • trade union
  • join a union
  • union members

Word family

unionise verb (UK)unionize verb (US)union noun

Common mistakes

The union is bad for company.The union is bad for the company.

He is a union.He is a union member.

Say it for a higher band

5group6association7+union

Synonyms

trade union

labour union

Easily confused

association

The teachers' association organised a conference on education policy.

syndicate

A media syndicate distributed the column to several newspapers.

Related words

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In Work & Career

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