Press Room

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May 11, 2023

Chicago Teachers Union commends lawmakers for passage of Charter Neutrality Bill

CHICAGO—The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) Thursday commended the Illinois General Assembly for passing a bill that protects Illinois educators from intimidation, retaliation and interference when they organize to join a union in privately operated charter schools, a move that will help educators improve the teaching and learning conditions in their schools. The legislation, HB 1120, requires charter school operators taking public school funding to include a labor neutrality clause as part of its school authorization. Under such a clause, an employer agrees to refrain from opposing or taking a position on union organizing by their employees.

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May 4, 2023

CTU President Stacy Davis Gates joined by CPS CEO Pedro Martinez in Springfield today meeting with lawmakers around additional funding for Chicago’s public school students and communities

CTU President Stacy Davis Gates and CPS CEO Pedro Martinez sit together and address lawmakers gathered in Springfield.

Collaboration between union and district is a central part of Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson’s plans for delivering on the promise of fully funded neighborhood public schools

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April 18, 2023

A Statement from the Chicago Teacher Union on the CPS Budget Framework

Time and again, educators and school personnel across this city have been called to do more with less. And now is the time for that to change.

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April 17, 2023

Acero Educators Demand Fair Contract

Picket at charter school Acero Idar

On Wednesday, more than 100 educators will join forces with parents, students, and community members to demand a safe, supportive, and more sustainable educational community from the Acero Charter Schools, which are located throughout the city of Chicago in primarily Latine neighborhoods. The Wednesday rally and press conference comes on the same day as the Charter’s April board meeting.

April 11, 2023

The CTU Stands in Solidarity with the Striking Faculty and Staff of the CSU, GSU and EIU

CTU President Stacy Davis Gates stands with striking educators at Chicago State University, April 3, 2023

CHICAGO — Chicago Teachers Union President and Illinois Federation of Teachers Executive Vice President Stacy Davis Gates issued the following statement in solidarity with striking higher education faculty and staff throughout Illinois: “Every day, the hardworking faculty and staff from CSU, EIU and GSU arrive at their college campuses committed to uplifting, empowering and educating their students. While being some of the lowest-paid professionals among similar institutions in Illinois, many educators have remained in service to their students because they believe in the promise of a better tomorrow.”

April 10, 2023

ChiArts Educators Demand A Fair Contract

CHICAGO — On Tuesday, April 11, academic and arts educators will join forces with parents, students, and community members to demand a safe, welcoming, and more sustainable educational community from The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts), a performing arts charter school located in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

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April 4, 2023

Statement on Brandon Johnson’s election as Mayor of Chicago

Photo of Mayoral Candidate Brandon Johnson with CTU members at April school leaders and delegates conference.

What started with a movement in 2012 for better school conditions has blossomed into a city-wide, multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-generational people-powered movement that has done the impossible: elect a middle school teacher, public school parent and son of a pastor, Brandon Johnson, mayor of Chicago.

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April 3, 2023

The CTU Stands in Solidarity with the Striking Faculty and Staff of the Chicago State University

CTU President Stacy Davis Gates stands with striking educators at Chicago State University, April 3, 2023

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates issued the following statement in solidarity with striking faculty and staff at Chicago State University, who walked out today after nearly a year of bargaining without results: “Inspired by their bravery, strength and willingness to sacrifice, we at the Chicago Teachers Union stand united with our union siblings on strike today at Chicago State University.

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March 24, 2023

Statement on Arne Duncan’s Endorsement of Paul Vallas

CHICAGO — Former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, Arne Duncan, never had the juice to run for Mayor of this great city. Yet, he clearly thinks he can influence how voters in the city vote in the upcoming election. As Vallas’s former partner-in-crime in destabilizing New Orleans’ public schools — through policies, actions, words and deeds — today’s endorsement of Vallas by former Education Secretary Duncan should not be a surprise. Arne Duncan called Hurricane Katrina in 2005 “the best thing that happened to the education system in New Orleans.”

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March 22, 2023

SEIU Local 73 and the Chicago Teachers Union Support Striking LAUSD Workers

Huge crowd wearing red in Los Angeles.

The fight against unfair labor practices in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) began in earnest on Tuesday, March 21, with 30,000 school workers walking off the job. These workers, represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 99, encompass the support staff across the entire school district. LAUSD’s continued disrespect, and their inability to care properly for the workers who make their mission possible, has also led to a solidarity strike by the 35,000 teachers represented by United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA). SEIU Local 73 and the Chicago Teachers Union are therefore proud to share our message of solidarity with SEIU Local 99 and UTLA.

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March 21, 2023

Chicago Educators and Community Members Push the Board of Education to Make Major Investments in Green School Infrastructure

9:00 am, Wednesday, March 22 press conference will outline the importance of Chicago Public Schools developing a Facilities Master Plan centered around the voices of parents, students, educators and the community at CPS headquarters.

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March 9, 2023

7:00 pm 3/9: Vallas As Mayor of Chicago Would Put City Classrooms, Public School Students and Vulnerable Communities in Jeopardy

7:00 pm, Thursday, March 9: Press conference outlining the threat that Paul Vallas poses to Chicago’s neighborhood public schools and unionized charter schools.

March 8, 2023

Statement on Willie Wilson and Ken Griffin Endorsement of Paul Vallas

Willie Wilson and Ken Griffin know exactly what they’re getting when they back Paul Vallas, another Republican who will side always with millionaires and billionaires over Chicago’s working families.

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March 3, 2023

Statement on Gery Chico’s Endorsement of Paul Vallas

The Vallas-Chico duo is bad for working families, bad for classrooms and will be dismal for Chicago.

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February 28, 2023

Historic labor and community movement propels educator, organizer, and CTU member Brandon Johnson into April runoff for mayor

Thanks to an unprecedented, historic multi-generational, multi-ethnic working-class coalition demanding transformative change in Chicago, educator, CTU member, and public school parent Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson will advance to the April 4 runoff, continuing to spread his bold vision for a Better Chicago and grow his people-powered winning coalition.

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February 21, 2023

8:30 am 2/22: Lightfoot, CPS and Charter Leaders Ignoring the Need of Migrant Students Placed in Chicago’s Public and Charter Schools

8:30 a.m. Wednesday, February 22: Press conference to demand great attention be paid by CPS, City Hall, and Charter operators to the classroom resources and wraparound services necessary to meet the needs of newly placed migrants in Chicago.

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February 15, 2023

Chicago Teacher Union on Governor JB Pritzker’s Budget Address

CTU commends Gov. Pritzker for boosting early childhood education funding but urges the state to do more.

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February 7, 2023

The Chicago Teacher Union Commemorates the Life and Legacy of Karen Lewis

Karen GJ Lewis, NBCT

“Two years ago today, students and families of this city lost a champion; educators lost a fierce leader, and the labor movement lost a friend and a true trade unionist…

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January 19, 2023

CTU stands with striking educators at the University of Illinois-Chicago

CHICAGO, Jan. 19, 2023 — UIC United Faculty’s strike is in its third day — and the Chicago Teachers Union is proud to continue to stand in solidarity with our fellow trade unionists who were forced onto the picket lines this week. As educators in Chicago Public Schools, we see a great many of our […]

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January 15, 2023

AFT president to join CTU, allies in demanding that Lightfoot extend improved parental leave to CPS educators, support staff

Randi Weingarten, who heads up union of 1.7 million teachers and support staff, to join educators, allies to demand CPS parental leave that mirrors what mayor offered to City workers – but has now been indefinitely delayed for educators, support staff.

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January 13, 2023

CTU, SEIU, community allies to join Brandon Johnson in honoring MLK — and to advance Dr. King’s call for economic and social justice

CTU members will join fellow trade unionists, mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson and progressive champions from across the city at 10 a.m. on Monday, January 16 to celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on MLK Day. After the rally, which is being held at CTU headquarters at 1901 W. Carroll, participants will fan out for door-to-door canvasing, phone banking and more for progressive candidates — including Brandon — seeking election to City Hall in the February 28 election.

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December 17, 2022

7A Mon., 12/19: Lightfoot ignores dangerous lead issues at South Side school while she drags on replacing lead water lines

While Mayor Lightfoot continues to drag on replacing dangerous lead water pipes for hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans, educators at a South Side school that serves a large number of special education students are scrambling to force Lightfoot’s CPS team to address serious lead paint risks in their school facility.

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November 10, 2022

Husband of late CTU President Karen Lewis on her legacy and the race for mayor of Chicago

Karen Lewis

John “Coach” Lewis, husband of late CTU President Emerita Karen GJ Lewis, issued the following statement today in response to references to President Lewis by candidates for mayor of Chicago and their supporters.

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November 9, 2022

CTU candidates sweep elections, build momentum for Brandon Johnson’s run for mayor

CTU candidates sweep elections

Union sees 34 out of 34 victories for the night, with rank and file members pushing hard for signatures for Brandon Johnson, as voters embrace CTU values and platform on election day.

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November 4, 2022

Lightfoot’s CPS team must remove Jones HS principal, take immediate steps to address racially hostile environment

The Chicago Teachers Union issued this statement after learning of another incidence of intolerance at Jones College Prep High School, which has been dogged by complaints of antisemitism, racism and homophobia for years under the school’s current leadership.

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Administrative Transfer Window

Teachers will be able to transfer schools for Fall 2023 without principal permission from Friday, March 24, 2023 to Monday, May 8, 2023.

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