Question

in_the_loop_593 the non-management workers in a company or the non-leadership members of a political party The expression comes from the military formation of soldiers side by side (rank) and one behind the other (file) forming large groups such as platoons. The expression has come to be applied to the non-management workers in a union (sentence 1) or company (sentence 2).

Accepted Answer

RANK AND FILE The union asked its rank-and-file members to vote against the new contract that the company was offering.Ted is getting promoted from the rank and file to a position in middle management. He hasn’t had much schooling, but his years among the workers have taught him enough to work his way up. Job/Work

Id	in_the_loop_593
Idiom	RANK AND FILE
Definition	the non-management workers in a company or the non-leadership members of a political party
Examples	The union asked its rank-and-file members to vote against the new contract that the company was offering. Ted is getting promoted from the rank and file to a position in middle management. He hasn’t had much schooling, but his years among the workers have taught him enough to work his way up.
Extra Info	The expression comes from the military formation of soldiers side by side (rank) and one behind the other (file) forming large groups such as platoons. The expression has come to be applied to the non-management workers in a union (sentence 1) or company (sentence 2).
Category	Job/Work

Workers Company Rank File Non Management Members Union Expression