Definition

1. Verb (transitive):

   • To organize workers into a labor union.
   • To cause a group of workers to form or join a union.

2. Verb (intransitive):

   • To become organized into a labor union.
   • To join or form a union.

Usage

• Transitive verb: The object is the group of workers being organized.
  • The new law made it easier to unionise factory employees.
• Intransitive verb: The subject is the group of workers organizing themselves.
  • The staff voted to unionise to negotiate for better pay.

Examples

• Transitive usage:
  • The campaign aimed to unionise the entire fast-food industry in the city.
  • Management was accused of using illegal tactics to prevent workers from being unionised.
• Intransitive usage:
  • After the pay cut, the technicians decided to unionise.
  • The sector is difficult to unionise due to the remote nature of the work.

Advanced Usage

• "to unionise a workforce": To organize the entire body of workers at a company or in an industry into a union.
  • The goal of the movement was to unionise the gig economy workforce.
• Passive voice: Often used to describe the state of workers.
  • Less than 15% of the private sector is unionised in this country.

Variants and Related Words

• Unionize: The preferred spelling in American English. "Unionise" is the British English spelling.
• Unionisation (n) / Unionization (n): The process or result of forming a union.
  • The unionisation of the plant took three years.
• Unionised (adj) / Unionized (adj): Describing workers or a workplace that is organized into a union.
  • She works in a heavily unionised industry.

Synonyms

• Organize: To form workers into a labor union. (e.g., )
• Unionize: The American English spelling, identical in meaning.

Antonyms

• Decertify: To remove a union's official recognition as a bargaining agent.
• Deunionize: To dissolve or break up a union (less common).

Related Phrases

• Collective bargaining: The negotiation process between a union and management, which is the goal of unionising.
• Right to unionise: A legal principle allowing workers to form unions.
  • The constitution guarantees the right to unionise.

Verb

1. form or join a union
   • The auto workers decided to unionize
2. recruit for a union or organize into a union
   • We don't allow people to come into our plant and try to unionize the workers