A bargaining unit, in
labor relations
Labor relations is a field of study that can have different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. In an international context, it is a subfield of labor history that studies the human relations with regard to work in its broadest ...
, is a group of employees with a clear and identifiable community of interests who is (under US law) represented by a single
labor union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
in
collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees aimed at agreements to regulate working salaries, working conditions, benefits, and other aspects of workers' compensation and rights for workers. The i ...
and other dealings with management. Examples are non-management professors, law enforcement professionals, blue-collar workers, and clerical and administrative employees. Geographic location and the number of facilities included in bargaining units may be issues during representation cases.
The size of a company does not relate to the size of a bargaining unit. Bargaining units must consist of at least three employees, and must have the support of a majority of employees in the bargaining unit. However, the bargaining unit can be a small portion of a large company if no other employees are members of a union.
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Labor relations
Trade unions
Industrial agreements