Did you
know?

closed shop
noun phrase

- a place of work where you have to belong to a particular trade union (= organization of workers)

(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)

---
A closed shop is a form of union security agreement under which the employer agrees to only hire union members. In addition, the employees must remain members of the union at all times. Closed shops are illegal in the UK under section 137(1)(a) of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

The pros and cons of closed shops and unions have long been debated. But sometimes it takes a personal experience to really understand the advantages and disadvantages, like the union man who had a difficult time finding a "closed shop" brothel during a trip to Las Vegas.

When he finally found one that was unionised, he asked, "If I pay $100 for an hour, what do the girls get?" The madam replied, "$80 for the lady and $20 for the house."

"That's my kind of shop," said the union man and then pointed at a young attractive blonde at the bar and said, "I'll take her."

"I'm sure you would sir," said the madam, then gesturing to a 75-year-old woman in the corner, "but Ethel here has seniority."

---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation

"Although illegal in the UK, closed shops are still to be found in other countries."