Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates had words for state lawmakers, the governor, corporations and financial institutions at a public bargaining session over a new union contract. She said union demands are not a money discussion, but rather about culture.
The federal filings of the Illinois Federation of Teachers and its national affiliate, the American Federation of Teachers, reveal questionable spending, with little spent on representing teachers, millions spent on politics and deficit spending while the big boss got $500K.
Chicago Public Schools just passed a $9.9 billion budget that spends nearly $30,000 per student. Despite receiving most city property taxes, boosted state funding and about 40% of federal aid, the new teachers contract will put the budget in the red.
The Chicago Teachers Union has funneled over $850,000 to the political committees of 30 of the 50 current Chicago aldermen since 2010. Seven Socialists received the most money.
The Chicago Teachers Union is seeking a $543k property tax cut that would take about $301K from the schools where its members teach. CTU’s also making over $10 billion in contract demands, which would certainly drive up Chicagoans’ tax bills.
Just 13% of IEA’s spending was on representing teachers in 2023. But the spending of its national affiliate – the National Education Association – was even worse, with less than 8% of its spending on representing teachers’ interests.
The Chicago Teachers Union is putting political goals in its contract demands, something not found in other large cities. It is trying to impose policy on the public without elected representatives debating whether the policies will hurt students and taxpayers.
The Chicago Teachers Union's lengthy list of demands includes base raises and experience compensation each year, housing help, climate justice, more compensation added to pension calculations and a pool of health care funds targeted to racial disparities. An analysis puts the price tag at least $10 billion.
This edition of The Policy Shop is by policy analyst Hannah Schmid. If you were given $68,000 per student and two staffers for every three students, what do you think the result would be? National Honor Society graduates with Ivy League schools clamoring for their presence? Well, not if you gave that money to the Chicago Teachers...
The union’s federal reports show the union has suffered membership loss during the past two decades. It could be because the union’s spending priorities are completely misplaced.
Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union will open their contract bargaining sessions to the public for the first time on June 14. Concerned Chicagoans can attend in-person and make their voices heard.
The Chicago Teachers Union demanded each of the 623 Chicago schools hire multiple new positions, including librarians, climate champions and gender support coordinators. Even nearly empty schools would be required to hire these extra staffers.
The Chicago Teachers Union is already paying about $4,300 less than the families whose taxes must support their health benefits. They will be seeking an even sweeter deal this summer.
Since 2010, CTU has funded the political committees of 84 of 177 lawmakers currently in the Illinois General Assembly. When you look at just Democrats, it is 72% – nearly half from outside Chicago.