Look for the union label.

“Look for the union label” is a labor-movement slogan associated with U.S. trade unions and the union “bug” (a small mark printed on goods to indicate they were produced by union labor). It became especially prominent in the 20th century as unions and allied organizations urged consumers to support unionized workplaces by purchasing labeled products—particularly in printing, garment, and other manufacturing trades where labeling was common. The phrase circulated widely on posters, stickers, and in public-service style advertising, and it was later reinforced in popular culture through labor songs and campaigns tied to the AFL-CIO and affiliated unions.

The line is a call to consumer solidarity: it asks buyers to treat purchasing as a civic act that can strengthen collective bargaining and improve wages and working conditions. The “union label” functions as a visible guarantee of labor standards and as a tool for distinguishing union-made goods from nonunion or strikebreaking production. More broadly, the slogan reflects a strategy of labor politics that extends beyond the workplace—mobilizing the marketplace and public opinion to reward employers who recognize unions and to pressure those who do not.