The Chicago Teachers Union, the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the American Federation of Teachers have backed CTU lobbyist Brandon Johnson with more than $2.3 million in his run for Chicago mayor. The sitting mayor said CTU wants to take over City Hall.

Chicago Teachers Union leader Brandon Johnson announced his candidacy for Chicago mayor. It’s the latest push for political power by CTU, which has backed many campaigns including Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.

Only $134 of each Chicago Teachers Union member’s dues is actually spent on representing Chicago Public Schools teachers. The rest is spent on other CTU leadership priorities and on the union hierarchy.

Delegates to the National Education Association’s annual meeting again called for mask and vaccine mandates, as well as remote learning. On Nov. 8 voters will decide whether to grant Illinois union bosses more power to set school policy.

The majority of the support for a constitutional amendment that would raise taxes on Illinoisans comes from union coffers, with nearly $5 million donated so far. Unions also funded the failed progressive tax push in 2020.

Membership in teachers unions has decreased nearly 10% since 2017, when public educators gained the right to stop handing their pay to unions.

Amendment 1 would allow government unions to nullify hundreds of Illinois statutes – including laws aimed at protecting school children – simply by contradicting them in union contracts.

Government unions in Illinois have tremendous power. Most are allowed to go on strike and can bargain over virtually anything.1 It creates an uneven playing field, with unions able to demand costly provisions in their contracts and threaten to strike – denying Illinoisans needed services – to get what they want.2 Until recently, the potential...

The Illinois Federation of Teachers and National Federation of Teachers filed federal reports showing how they spent money in 2020. Little was spent on what most assume is a teachers union’s central mission – representing teachers.