Illinois bill would allow 10 paid days off from teaching for union lobbying

Illinois lawmakers passed a bill giving teachers 10 paid days off for union advocacy if elected to union leadership positions.

Both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly approved a bill allowing teachers’ union officials up to 10 days for federal lobbying.

House Bill 2392 grants “any teacher who is a member of a statewide association representing teachers and who is elected by the association’s membership to represent the association in federal advocacy work may spend up to 10 days during a school term representing the association in federal advocacy work.”

While the bill requires unions to reimburse school districts for the cost of substitute teachers, the absent teachers will continue to be paid by districts for doing federal union advocacy, such as meeting with a congressman.

The witnesses who backed the bill include the Chicago Teachers Union, the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Education Association.

The bill is yet another example that unions are far more interested in doing political work than representing teachers. For example, the National Education Association and IEA spent 1.5 times more on politics than on representing teachers in 2021.

The bill awaits a signature from Gov. J.B. Pritzker and would take effect immediately.