Chicago Teachers Union

Cleveland teachers’ contract: It’s better than the one we got

05/19/2013
by Paul Kersey In my last post, I called attention to the contract between the Cleveland Teachers Union (an affiliate of the American Federation, just like the union that represents Chicago teachers) and the Cleveland Municipal School District. The union and the district both deserve credit for releasing their contract to the media just two days after reaching...

Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis wins second term

05/16/2013
From NBC’s Ward Room: Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis on Friday earned a second three year term. The union said Lewis received an “overwhelming 80 percent of the votes” cast, according to a preliminary tally of the votes. “[Union members have] spoken … saying that they appreciate the direction that the union has gone in...

CTU plans to sue CPS over school consolidation

05/16/2013
by Paul Kersey The Chicago Teachers Union has announced plans to file a lawsuit to prevent the closure of about 50 Chicago Public Schools buildings. The union is hoping to keep as many buildings as possible open, and in the process preserve its members’ jobs. Even if the lawsuit fails, the litigation could delay the implementation...

Apples to oranges: How Rahm Emanuel and a unionized private school can have starkly different relationships with the union world

05/10/2013
by Paul Kersey In Tuesday’s Chicago Reader Ben Joravsky essentially snarks that there must be something wrong with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, because the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools where the mayor sends his children manages to work just fine with the American Federation of Teachers, or AFT, Local 2063. Emanuel, on the other hand, remains...

UNO charters unionize

05/02/2013
by Paul Kersey Earlier today the Alliance of Charter School Teachers and Staff, known as ACTS, presented cards that were apparently signed by a strong majority of teachers at United Neighborhood Organization charter schools. An observer appointed by UNO and the union counted the cards and determined that ACTS would henceforth represent UNO teachers. For...

Citizens deserve a seat in the room — it’s time to require open meetings for collective bargaining

By Chris Andriesen
03/20/2013
On February 28, 2013, Illinois’ largest government union, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, which represents nearly 40,000 state employees, completed months of negotiations with state government over a new contract, yet taxpayers were locked out of the bargaining room during all of them. Since that time, taxpayers are still waiting to...
Load More

Pathway to a Profession: How Apprenticeships Could Reshape Illinois’ Beauty Service Industry

Occupational licensing requirements present one of the steepest barriers to low-income Illinoisans starting careers in beauty services. Illinois requires anyone seeking to become a barber, cosmetologist, nail technician or hair braider to obtain a state license, essentially a permission slip to work. Unlike 45 other states, Illinois offers only one pathway to licensure for each...

View Report

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016