Workers' Rights

NEA fights for legislation ensuring all workers—both in the public and private sectors—the right to join a labor union and to bargain collectively for fair wages, workplace safety, and access to healthcare and retirement security.

Educators’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions; good working conditions for educators promote student learning and engagement. When educators come together to negotiate a fair contract with their employers, they can set limits on class size and address health and safety issues.

NEA and our labor union partners also continue to secure for women equal pay for equal work. On average, women still earn just 76 cents for every dollar earned by men, according to the National Partnership for Women & Families, with women of color and disabled women earning far less. It’s long past time for this to change.