Perceived union support, work meaningfulness, and well-being: evidence from an emerging country context.

Introduction: Meaningful work is a key determinant of employee well-being, yet little is known about the role of collective institutions such as trade unions in shaping perceptions of work meaningfulness. Drawing on meaningful-work literature, this study examines whether perceived union support (PUS) relates to employees' work meaningfulness and, through it, to job and life satisfaction. Methods: Survey data were collected from 1,673 public employees in Türkiye. Regression-based mediation and moderated mediation analyses were conducted using open access Jamovi software. Results: According to findings, PUS is associated with higher levels of meaningfulness beyond membership status and demographics. Meaningfulness, in turn, is positively associated with both job satisfaction and life satisfaction, with small but reliable indirect effects from PUS to job and life satisfaction. Union membership, per se, was not associated with meaningfulness or satisfaction. Moderation tests showed that status anxiety and job stress were each related to lower meaningfulness, yet neither altered the positive PUS-meaningfulness link. Discussion: Results corroborate the importance of the quality of workers' union experiences, feeling supported over formal membership status for understanding meaningful work and well-being. The study contributes to the meaningful work literature by highlighting the role of collective institutions in shaping work experiences and suggest that relational engagement is critical for unions seeking to promote worker well-being.