"Action carried out by a group [of] rational, self-interested individuals coordinating their action to achieve their common interests. Often used to designate the instruments and strategies groups adopt to influence government policies."
(International Labour Organization, (ILO), Glossary, visited 2010-08-30)
In the United States, collective action is a legal term used to refer to "[l]awsuits brought by an employee or a group of employees authorized by Section 16(b) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as a unique form of representative action to recover minimum wages, overtime pay, and damages."
(Anglim, C. T., Labor, Employment, and the Law: A Dictionary, ABC-CLION: Santa Barbara, 1997, p. 99)