Trade union

A union (labor union in American English; trade union in British English and Australian English; either labour union or trade union in Canadian English) is an organisation formed by workers. Most typically, a single union will represent workers in a particular industry (industrial unionism) or craft (craft unionism), within all or part of a country. Unions are often divided into "locals" and united in national federations. Typical examples, depending on the country, could be all the assembly workers for one employer, all the teachers in a local school district, or all the workers in a particular industry.

Related Topics:
American English - British English - Australian English - Canadian English - Industrial unionism - Craft unionism - Locals - Federations

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Unions may also engage in broader political or social struggle; unions in some countries are closely aligned with political parties. Unions often use their organizational strength to advocate for social policies and legislation favorable to their members or to workers in general.

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Although their political structure and autonomy of varies widely from country to country, union leaderships are usually formed through elections.

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