Which teachers’ union affiliate represents your school district?

Dues money collected by local teachers unions rarely stays local. Instead, money flows up to state or national affiliates, where the priorities are politics and union boss expenses – not representing teachers.

If you are an Illinois educator represented by a union, you are likely sending most of your dues on to the Illinois Federation of Teachers or the Illinois Education Association.

They may not be spending your dues as you would like.

In 2022, IFT spent $49.7 million, but only 26 cents of every $1 was spent on representing members – which is the main job of a union, right? In 2021 over 80% of spending went to the Chicago area, which includes its largest unit, the Chicago Teachers Union. Only one district south of I-80 received any IFT funding at all.

IEA spent $88.2 million in 2024, but less than 15% of its spending went to representing teachers. It spent $1.96 million on politics and paid 111 of its union staffers at least $100,000 a year while the average Illinois teacher made under $76,000.

See which group your local bargaining unit belongs to in the table below.