Collective bargaining is the protected process under the National Labor Relations Act by which a certified union negotiates on behalf of workers over wages, hours, benefits, and working conditions. The National Labor Relations Board oversees union elections and enforces the duty to bargain in good faith. Public employees — including teachers — are excluded from the NLRA and instead governed by state laws, which vary widely: some states grant full collective bargaining rights to public employees, others restrict bargaining to certain topics, and others prohibit it entirely. The right to strike for public employees is similarly state-determined.