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 New Jersey, teachers' unions are recognized entities that represent educators in collective bargaining with school districts regarding employment conditions such as salaries, benefits, and tenure. While the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) of 1935 establishes the right to form unions and engage in collective bargaining for private-sector employees, it does not apply to public-sector employees, including public school teachers. Instead, public school teachers in New Jersey are governed by state statutes that permit collective bargaining. New Jersey does not fall within the group of states that prohibit collective bargaining for public employees. The state has specific laws that enable public school teachers to organize and negotiate collectively through their unions. Additionally, New Jersey law protects the right of public employees to strike under certain conditions, although such actions can be limited by specific legal constraints and court orders. It's important for teachers and school districts in New Jersey to be aware of the state's Public Employer-Employee Relations Act, which outlines the rights and responsibilities of public employee unions, including those representing teachers.