trade unions
Worker advocacy groups
Trade unions are organizations of workers formed to protect their collective interests—negotiating wages, working conditions, and benefits with employers.
Members pay dues and elect representatives who bargain on their behalf.
The power of unions lies in collective action: strikes, walkouts, and other coordinated pressure.
The trade unions threatened to strike if management didn't meet their demands.
Also called labor unions, especially in American English.
Advocating to decision-makers
- advocacyPleading for a cause
- protestPublic expression of disapproval
- demonstrationPublic display of opinion
- boycottOrganized economic protest
grassroots · campaigning · mobilization · reform · resistance · empowerment · organizing · leafleting
Joint worker-employer talks
- job securityProtected employment status
- seniorityRank from length of service
- shop stewardElected worker liaison
- labor contractFormal work arrangement document
fair wages · working conditions · overtime pay · unionization · labor movement · membership · closed shop · labor rights
Protest by leaving
- industrial actionCollective employee pressure tactic
- work stoppageOrganized cessation of labor
- labor disputeWorker-employer disagreement
- lockoutEmployer-imposed work stoppage
picket line · picket signs · sympathy strike · wildcat strike · sit-down strike · blue flu · overtime ban · scab
Negotiating mutually acceptable terms
- arbitrationNon-court binding dispute resolution
- mediationIntervention to resolve conflict
- concessionsThings granted or yielded
- compromiseAgreement through mutual sacrifice
dispute resolution · contract · agreement · ratification · negotiators · representatives · proposals · counteroffer
Wholeness through cohesion
- brotherhoodKinship among men
- sisterhoodBond among women
- allianceFormal union of parties
- cohesionTendency to bind together
camaraderie · fellowship · cooperation · mutual aid · comradeship · loyalty · consensus · esprit de corps
lobbying
Advocating to decision-makers
- advocacyPleading for a cause
- protestPublic expression of disapproval
- demonstrationPublic display of opinion
boycott · grassroots · campaigning · mobilization · reform · resistance · empowerment · organizing · leafleting · rally
collective bargaining
Joint worker-employer talks
- job securityProtected employment status
- seniorityRank from length of service
- shop stewardElected worker liaison
labor contract · fair wages · working conditions · overtime pay · unionization · labor movement · membership · closed shop · labor rights · benefits
walkout
Protest by leaving
- industrial actionCollective employee pressure tactic
- work stoppageOrganized cessation of labor
- labor disputeWorker-employer disagreement
lockout · picket line · picket signs · sympathy strike · wildcat strike · sit-down strike · blue flu · overtime ban · scab · strikebreaker
bargaining
Negotiating mutually acceptable terms
- arbitrationNon-court binding dispute resolution
- mediationIntervention to resolve conflict
- concessionsThings granted or yielded
compromise · dispute resolution · contract · agreement · ratification · negotiators · representatives · proposals · counteroffer · terms
unity
Wholeness through cohesion
- brotherhoodKinship among men
- sisterhoodBond among women
- allianceFormal union of parties
cohesion · camaraderie · fellowship · cooperation · mutual aid · comradeship · loyalty · consensus · esprit de corps · international solidarity
- professional organizationsprofessional association, unions, professional society, guilds, syndicates
- industry in literaturemill towns, textile workers, factory girls, iron works, dock workers
- economicssupply and demand, inflation, GDP, GNP, gross domestic product
- organizationsorganization, organizations, company, companies, club
- competitive organizationssports teams, corporations, political parties, sports leagues, tech companies
- membershipsmembership fee, membership card, gym membership, club membership, family membership
trade unionsmanagement
Organizing and directing resources
employers · corporate management · business owners · ownership · bosses
trade unionsright-to-work
Voluntary union membership policy
union busting · neoliberalism · Thatcherism · Reaganomics · at-will employment
trade unionsright-to-work
Voluntary union membership policy
open shop · gig economy · strikebreakers · at-will employment · independent contractors