To make operative the provisions of section 9, Article XV, of the Constitution of Nebraska, the public policy of the State of Nebraska is hereby declared to be as follows: (1) The continuous, uninterrupted and proper functioning and operation of the governmental service including governmental service in a proprietary capacity and of public utilities engaged in the business of furnishing transportation for hire, telephone service, telegraph service, electric light, heat, or power service, gas for heating or illuminating, whether natural or artificial, or water service, or any one or more of them, to the people of Nebraska are hereby declared to be essential to their welfare, health, and safety. It is contrary to the public policy of the state to permit any substantial impairment or suspension of the operation of governmental service, including governmental service in a proprietary capacity or any such utility by reason of industrial disputes therein. It is the duty of the State of Nebraska to exercise all available means and every power at its command to prevent the same so as to protect its citizens from any dangers, perils, calamities, or catastrophes which would result therefrom. It is therefor further declared that governmental service, including governmental service in a proprietary capacity, and the service of such public utilities are clothed with a vital public interest and to protect the same it is necessary that the relations between the public employers and public employees in such industries be regulated by the State of Nebraska to the extent and in the manner provided in the Industrial Relations Act; (2) No right shall exist in any natural or corporate person or group of persons to hinder, delay, limit, or suspend the continuity or efficiency of any governmental service or governmental service in a proprietary capacity of this state, either by strike, lockout, or other means; and (3) No right shall exist in any natural or corporate person or group of persons to hinder, delay, limit, or suspend the continuity or efficiency of any public utility service, either by strike, lockout, or other means.
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 48-802
Public policy
Applied in 4 court decisions — leading case Lincoln County Sheriff's Employees Ass'n Local 546 v. County of Lincoln (1984)
Most recently applied in International Union of Operating Engineers Local 571 v. City of Plattsmouth (May 2003)
Laws 1947, c. 178, § 2, p. 587; Laws 2011, LB397, § 3.
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Official source: Nebraska Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain Nebraska statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.