The Chicago Teachers Union put its lobbyist in the Chicago mayor's office and is now negotiating its next contract with him. What taxpayers should know about CTU, how it's impacted education, its leadership and its ambitions to be the political machine running the nation's third-largest city.
While total Chicago voter turnout hit a high April 4, in-person voting on Election Day reached the lowest level in Chicago mayoral runoff history. Most Chicagoans voting did so early or by mail.
Mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson owes the city more than $4,000 in unpaid bills and fines, including traffic tickets dating back to 2014. With income over $178K, he invokes ‘working-class’ struggles.
Teachers unions have already bankrolled most of Brandon Johnson’s campaign for Chicago mayor, and the American Federation of Teachers just directed another $500,000 to his war chest.
To date, the Chicago Teachers Union and its affiliates have funneled nearly $5 million to the mayoral campaign of Brandon Johnson, ignoring member criticism and violating union rules.
Brandon Johnson’s mayoral campaign still states his six new taxes on “the suburbs, airlines and ultra-rich” would generate $800 million, even after he dropped his Metra tax. But the math is fuzzy, especially his claim $800 million can become $2 billion.
Chicago Teachers Union delegates voted to apportion $8 per month per member’s dues to help fund Brandon Johnson’s mayoral campaign. The motion to potentially triple the union’s campaign investment has drawn criticism from members.
The Chicago Teachers Union and its affiliates have given nearly $3.2 million to Brandon Johnson’s campaign for Chicago mayor. The union has come under fire for shifting dues to political activities without members’ OK, but the cash is still flowing.
The Chicago Teachers Union’s funding of the Brandon Johnson campaign for Chicago mayor has fueled backlash from members. As one of its own employees, Johnson has banked more than $390,000 as CTU’s “legislative coordinator” in the past 5 years.
Chicago’s $1.15 billion projected budget gap is the latest in a decades-long string of structural deficits. Making Chicago’s high taxes worse is not the solution.