Chicago Teachers Union family health insurance about $4,300 less than yours
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.
Health insurance likely costs your family about $7,000, but if you are a member of the Chicago Teachers Union that coverage costs about $2,700.
Even more lucrative health benefits are needed, according to CTU. That’s what they are demanding in the current contract negotiations.
They want paid surrogacy leave, 100% coverage for infertility and abortions, and removal of co-pays for physical therapy and mental health services. They want a “personal medical release day” each year to be used for annual wellness check appointments in addition to their 12 sick days. They want money to address racial health care disparities. They want coverage for bariatric surgery and weight-loss drugs.
Before they get too far into the 2025-2028 contract negotiations with their former co-worker, Mayor Brandon Johnson, and the school board he appointed, it’s worth a look at what CTU already has regarding health insurance benefits.
The average Midwesterner contributed $7,051 annually to their family preferred provider organization plan, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation. That same coverage costs a CTU member $2,703, or over 2.5 times less.
The average CTU member also has a lot more income to cover that expense: $88,609 on average in 2023 compared to $61,102 for the average private-sector Chicago area worker.
They want more salary, too. If their salary demands are met, their average will hit $144,620 by the end of the contract.
The reason CTU members have received a far better deal than private-sector Chicagoans is because their 2019-24 contract secured them a health insurance contribution rate of 2.8% for three years, until their rate marginally increased by 0.25% in 2023. The burden of contributing to health insurance premiums falls mainly on Chicago Public Schools, meaning taxpayers.
CTU members also enjoy cheap copayments for health services. Hospital co-pays are $100 per admission while Americans face an average co-pay of $404.
The new contract seeks zero copayments for physical therapy and mental health services, full coverage for “abortion care” and embryo storage, and medical benefits for absences related to verbal assault.
As contract negotiations continue, Chicago taxpayers should be worried the guy entrusted to represent their interests is in office thanks to his CTU cronies and former co-workers largely funding his run for office. Johnson should recuse himself from CTU contract negotiations. CTU benefits should be in line with those of the taxpayers being asked to fund them.