What are labor unions?

A labor union is a group of workers who team up to make their jobs better.

Imagine you and your friends are all playing on the same soccer team. You want more snacks during practice, and you want to play longer games. If you all talk together and ask nicely, maybe the coach will say yes. But if you each ask one at a time, the coach might not notice or say no. That’s when having a team, like a labor union, becomes super helpful.

Labor unions help workers by talking to their bosses (or employers) about things like:

• How much money they get every week (pay)
• How many hours they work each day (hours)
• If they get days off for special events (benefits)

Sometimes, if the boss doesn’t listen, the union might help workers strike, that means they stop working until their demands are met. It’s like when you and your friends decide not to play soccer anymore until you get more snacks!

Unions make sure workers are treated fairly and have a stronger voice in how their jobs work.