Press Room

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.

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

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

“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…

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 […]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.