A labor union is an organization that acts as an intermediary, or liaison, between workers and their employers. The main purpose of a labor union is to give workers the power to negotiate for more favorable working conditions, pay and other benefits through collective bargaining.

Collective bargaining is a process that allows the voices of individual workers to be heard as a group, in order to increase negotiating power. Unionized workers typically elect representatives to bring their concerns to the entire Union’s attention, then come up with resolution to benefit the group.

Other groups who are members of labor unions include but are not limited to:

Police Officers/Law Enforcement
Teachers
Pilots
Nurses
Firefighters
Farm Workers
Miners

Union workers benefit most from the Union’s collective bargaining power to negotiate with employers on their behalf. Other benefits include:

Protection from unjust termination – prevents being dismissed from a job without “just cause” as opposed to those who can be fired “at will”.
Option to strike – allows workers to stop working to protest labor conditions or as a tool during labor/management negotiations.
Pay negotiation – promotes wage increases on a regular basis and ensures that all workers are earning livable pay.
Better work conditions – provides the opportunity to negotiate better working conditions without remand as well as other work-related benefits like improved safety measures.
Training for new skills – union workers receive training opportunities while on the job to improve their skills and increase professional development and job security.