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 (s ...
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 ...
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