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.

Chicago Teachers Union members have reason to question the leadership of President Stacy Davis Gates heading into the May 16 union election. Her many scandals have driven down the union’s reputation.

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.

Rapid growth in government jobs during 2024 did little to fix the downward trajectory of union membership in Illinois. Just 13.1% of workers are union members in the state.

Government unions posed threats to public welfare that were recognized by founders of the labor movement and by progressive icon Franklin D. Roosevelt. Those threats have become reality, with government union power dominating – especially in Illinois.

A current dispute with SEIU and militant stances against police are just two reasons other city unions have reason to believe the Chicago Teachers Union cares little about solidarity and a lot about its own interests.

Not even one-quarter of SEIU HCII’s spending is on representing workers – which should be its main priority. Yet dozens of its own employees make six-figure salaries and it has increased its spending on politics by nearly 9%. Oh, yeah: plus spent over $30,000 at a pizza parlor.

Labor Day this year leaves Illinois government unions fewer members to celebrate with. It appears to be the unions’ own fault. Over 36,000 workers have distanced themselves since 2017.

Nearly 83% of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s funding has been from unions, according to data obtained from Illinois Sunshine. More than half of that came from teachers unions. Here are three ways we could see him pay them back.

It could be because less than 22% of SEIU HCII’s spending is on representing workers – what should be the core purpose of the union.