Collective workplace relations have their own legal framework. Labor law regulates the rights of workers to organize, bargain collectively, and strike, and it structures the obligations of employers and unions in those processes.

Statutes typically protect the right to form and join unions, require good-faith bargaining over terms of employment, and prohibit unfair labor practices by both employers and unions. Specialized agencies often administer elections and remedy violations. Labor law is distinct from, though related to, broader employment statutes on wages and discrimination.

Collective bargaining agreements become enforceable contracts governing large parts of the employment relationship. Disputes may go to arbitration under those agreements. The balance of power between labor and management shifts with legislative amendments and economic conditions.

• Law of unions, collective bargaining, and related rights
• Protects organizing and defines unfair practices
• Administered in part by specialized agencies
• Distinct from general employment regulation