West Frankfort’s local union and school board have been at the negotiation table for more than five months. If an agreement is not reached, teachers in West Frankfort could strike as soon as Oct. 26.

The scandal-plagued president of the Chicago Teachers Union will now also be leading the Illinois Federation of Teachers, which has affiliates in at least 200 districts across the state.

At least three Illinois teachers unions threatened to strike at the start of this school year. Keeping students out of class so unions can get their way should be illegal in Illinois.

The Illinois Federation of Teachers has poured more than $11 million into state lawmakers’ campaigns. Lawmakers then did IFT’s bidding on more than 2-in-5 bills in 2025, with what they wanted often hurting students’ and parents’ best interests.

District 146 Educators Council has voted to authorize a strike. If an agreement is not reached, teachers in Tinley Park could strike as soon as Sept. 22.

The teachers union in the 10th-largest school district in Illinois has voted to authorize a strike. If an agreement is not reached, teachers in Romeoville and Bolingbrook could strike as soon as Sept. 15.

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 Federation of Teachers, the parent union of the Chicago Teachers Union, should be worried about the three Rs, but its main R is “radicalism.” Transgender restrooms, defunding the police and getting rid of charter schools top its radical agenda.

Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jackson Potter said CTU needs to be more involved in other school districts. That means 52 school districts negotiating teachers contracts this year are targets for CTU tactics and militancy.