PRESS RELEASE from the
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE

CONTACT: Micky Horstman (312) 607-4977

Statement: No audit from the Chicago Teachers Union in 4 years
Only 17% of CTU spending goes toward member representation

CHICAGO (Sept. 9, 2024) – Despite a requirement to produce an internal financial audit to members annually, the Chicago Teachers Union has not released one in four years. The last audit was released four years ago on Sept. 9, 2020, and covered the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 fiscal years.

An original analysis by the Illinois Policy Institute found only 17 cents of every CTU dollar is spent on member representation; the rest is spent on politicking, administration costs and other union leader priorities. In 2024, CTU raised member dues by 13% to over $1,400 a year. It ran a $500,000 deficit in 2023, according to federal filings.

Other union documents show CTU spent three times more on politics in 2023 than it did in any other year reported, according to the institute. This includes nearly $2.3 million to the mayoral campaign of Brandon Johnson, a former union employee.

“This is a concerning trend for taxpayers, who fund the union’s demands, as well as for union members, who may not be seeing their everyday needs addressed or questions answered,” said Mailee Smith, senior director of labor policy at the Illinois Policy Institute. “The Chicago Teachers Union routinely asks for more taxpayer money – especially now as it’s undergoing contract negotiations – but it has failed to tell members how it spends their own money.”

Chicago Public Schools has projected that implementing only 52 of CTU’s over 700 contract demands in the union’s upcoming contract would create a $2.9 billion deficit for the district next fiscal year and a $4 billion hole by 2029. Many contract demands are related to issues outside traditional salary and benefits to include terms on social justice or the environment.

“It’s another example of the union leadership focusing on the wrong issues: too much emphasis on politics and not enough on serving their members,” Smith said. 

To learn more about CTU’s missing audits, visit illin.is/CTUspending.

For interviews or interviews, contact media@illinoispolicy.org or (312) 607-4977.