Union shop is a form of security given to a union in a collective-bargaining agreement. An employer formally recognizes a union as the sole bargaining agent for a specific group of employees. All these employees must belong to the union, or must join it within a specified period, usually 30 or 60 days following the signing of the contract or of their employment, whichever is later. Usually they must remain members as long as the contract or its union shop provision lasts, or they will lose their jobs.
