Union accounting shows just 36% of its spending was on representing teachers in 2025, while it spent more than $41 million on politics.

Stacy Davis Gates brought controversy, conflict to the Chicago Teachers Union. With her as their president, Illinois Federation of Teachers members can expect the same.

Just 15% to 26% of Illinois teachers union spending was on representing teachers in 2024. But public education employees can opt out of union membership and keep their hard-earned money.

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.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees’ questionable spending, as revealed in its own federal reporting, could be driving members away from the union.

Mayor Brandon Johnson asked to borrow $830 million one day after the city’s credit rating dipping to near-junk status. He would have broad discretion over how to spend the money – including on his friends at the Chicago Teachers Union.

NEA has lost nearly 400,000 members since its peak in 2009. It could be because just 9% of the union’s spending is on representing teachers – with the rest on politics, administration and other union leader priorities.