At least 52 school districts represented by the Illinois Federation of Teachers – the parent union and chief ally of the Chicago Teachers Union – are up for contract negotiations this year. CTU’s militant social agenda is being spread by IFT to other teachers unions.
Seven years after they were freed from being forced to pay unions, at least 267 of Illinois’ 866 school districts still have “fair share” language in their teachers union contracts. Those contracts are wrong and should be fixed so teachers get the truth about their pay.
The Illinois Federation of Teachers represents employees in more than 200 school districts across the state, but it does a lot that defies expectations. Here are nine things you and its members likely misunderstand, most related to colluding with the Chicago Teachers Union.
The Chicago Teachers Union and its cronies destroyed Illinois’ only private school choice program. Now they are out to kill charter schools and public-school choice, leaving parents with no option but CTU’s failing product.
With only 10,100 of the Chicago Teachers Union’s 27,216 active members voting to retain Stacy Davis Gates as president, she doesn’t have support from nearly two-thirds of the teachers the union represents.
A lawsuit challenging the Chicago Teachers Union’s failure to release mandated financial audits to its members survived CTU’s attempt to get it thrown out.
Stacy Davis Gates and her slate of progressive Chicago Teachers Union leaders won reelection on May 16. Illinoisans can expect the union to pursue more money, more power and more radical policies during her continued tenure as union president.
The Illinois Revenue Alliance, a group which includes the Chicago Teachers Union, has released a proposal to impose nine tax increases and hike statewide taxes by $7.3 billion annually. Some of CTU’s ideas are likely illegal and tax all Illinoisans for the union’s excesses.
Chicago Teachers Union members have reason to question the leadership of President Stacy Davis Gates heading into the May 16 union election. Her many scandals have driven down the union’s reputation.
The Illinois state affiliate of the Service Employees International Union collected over $3 million in dues from members in 2024. It spent just $57,000 of that representing them. Politics and overhead were the union’s priorities.
Chicago Public Schools was already projecting annual budget deficits in excess of $500 million in coming years. The new Chicago Teachers Union contract costs will grow the deficit to nearly $1 billion
The Chicago Teachers Union election has two groups competing to lead one of the most militant unions in the nation. CTU has a hand in federal, state and local politics.
The Chicago Teachers Union is encouraging students and staff to miss school for a political rally, which includes protests against McDonald’s restaurants and guacamole.
The new Chicago Teachers Union contract grows an education model that is failing students while attacking parents’ ability to choose alternatives. All that, at a higher cost.