Definition

Noun: A union shop is a workplace, typically a company or factory, where an agreement exists between the employer and a labor union. This agreement allows the employer to hire workers who are not initially members of the union. However, it is a condition of continued employment that these new hires must join the union within a specified period after starting their job.

Usage

The term is used primarily in labor relations and economics to describe a specific type of union security agreement. It contrasts with "closed shops" (where only union members can be hired) and "open shops" (where union membership is not required).

Examples

• The factory operates as a union shop, so all new employees must apply for union membership after their first 30 days.
• In a union shop, nonunion workers can be hired, but they are obligated to join the union to keep their jobs.
• The contract negotiated by the union established the company as a union shop.

Advanced Usage

• The concept of a union shop is often discussed in debates about workers' rights, compulsory unionism, and the right-to-work laws, which prohibit such agreements.
• The specified time period for joining the union in a union shop is often defined in the collective bargaining agreement, such as 30, 60, or 90 days.

Variants and Related Words

• Closed Shop (noun): A workplace where only individuals who are already members of the union may be hired.
• Open Shop (noun): A workplace where employees are not required to join or financially support a union as a condition of employment.
• Agency Shop (noun): A workplace where employees are not required to join the union but must pay a fee to cover the union's costs for collective bargaining.
• Union Security Agreement (noun): The general term for contracts between unions and employers that outline the status of union membership, encompassing union shops, closed shops, and agency shops.

Synonyms

• Union security workplace (general term)
• (There are no direct single-word synonyms; it is a specific institutional term.)

Antonyms

• Open Shop
• Right-to-Work Workplace (in jurisdictions where union shops are prohibited by law)

Related Phrases

• To be/operate as a union shop: Describes the status of a workplace.
  • After the new contract was signed, the plant began to operate as a union shop.
• Union shop clause/provision: Refers to the specific part of a labor contract that establishes this condition.
  • The most contentious part of the negotiation was the union shop clause.

Noun

1. a company allowed to hire nonunion workers on the condition that they will join the union within a specified time