More than 38,000 workers have left government unions in Illinois

By Mailee Smith

04/12/2022

The unions’ own federal reports show 9% of workers have chosen to break away from unions since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME.

TAGS: government unions, Janus v. AFSCME, membership

Illinois labor-union membership in 10 charts

By Naomi Lopez Bauman

03/10/2015

One in 10 workers in the private, for-profit sector are union members in Illinois – 1 in 12 in the nonprofit sector. But more than half of Illinois’ government workers belong to a union.

TAGS: membership

Government-employee unions in Illinois waste their members’ dues

By Paul Kersey

08/20/2014

Nearly all government employees are forced to pay money to a union as a condition of keeping their jobs. And it’s not cheap. The forced dues can reach as high as $1,000 per year in the case of Chicago public school teachers. Union officials can count on hundreds of millions of dollars a year in...

TAGS: labor, membership, unions, waste

Beyond degrees: Empowering Illinoisans through career-first education

Published June 3, 2025 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The best path to empowerment and success, especially for poor people, is work. Work allows us to prosper while providing dignity, upward mobility, the means to support ourselves and create value for others. It’s how we become thriving members of our community. Central to this process is our education...

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Beyond degrees: Empowering Illinoisans through career-first education

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Allan Luzbetak

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students