A teachers’ union is a labor union (an organized group of employees) that represents teachers or educators in contract negotiations (for salaries, tenure, paid time off, and other terms of employment) with schools or school districts. Teachers’ unions are said to engage in collective bargaining—bargaining or negotiating on behalf of all teachers—rather than individual teachers negotiating their own employment terms.

The rights of workers to form unions, strike, bargain collectively, and engage in other work-related activities are provided by the federal statute known as the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (NLRA). The NLRA also prohibits unions from trying to force workers to join a union and prohibits employers from retaliating against workers who exercise their union rights.

The NLRA supersedes many state laws but it does not apply to employees in the public sector—including public school teachers. Some states have laws that prohibit collective bargaining for public employees (Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia) and many states have laws that make it illegal for public employees to strike.

In Nebraska, teachers' unions operate under state statutes that govern public sector employees, as the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) does not apply to public school teachers. Nebraska allows collective bargaining for public employees, including teachers. The Industrial Relations Act and the State Employees Collective Bargaining Act are the primary state laws that address collective bargaining for public employees in Nebraska. These laws establish the procedures for collective bargaining and set forth the rights and obligations of public employees, including teachers, and public employers. While Nebraska permits collective bargaining, it does have restrictions on the right to strike for public employees. Strikes by public employees are generally prohibited, and there are specific legal processes that must be followed for disputes in collective bargaining, which often involve mediation and may lead to arbitration if necessary. It's important for teachers and school districts to be aware of these state-specific regulations when engaging in contract negotiations and union activities.