Press Room
Please direct all media inquiries to Christine Geovanis, CTU Director of Communications:
Latest Press Release
Tuesday, August 20, 3:45P – CTU to testify in opposition to CPS budget cuts
3:45 p.m. TODAY, Tues, Aug. 20: Press conference, CPS/BOE budget hearings CPS central offices, 42 W. Madison, Chicago CTU officers, rank and file to testify against proposed budget cuts to schools, frontline staff Proposed FY 2020 CPS budget cuts funding to hundreds...
read moreOlder Press Releases
Lightfoot spin doesn’t match stark reality of new CPS budget
Actual numbers show cuts to social workers, school nurses, while hundreds of schools will take budget hits. CHICAGO—Chicago Teachers Union staff spent much of Thursday analyzing the budget that CPS issued today—and that Mayor Lightfoot claims produces "unprecedented...
CPS budget raises questions, concerns
Allocation decisions could cut funding to hundreds of schools, while CPS, Mayor refuse to enshrine public promises in enforceable contract. CHICAGO—Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey issued the following statement today in response to CPS' formal FY 2020...
Put TIF windfall where it belongs: in public school communities
The mayor should do what’s right—and what can help make up for the billions of dollars that TIF abuse has robbed from our students and our schools: invest every penny of this windfall in public education.
Pres. Sharkey to CTU Members: Time for mayor to put promises into action in enforceable contract
Dear CTU Members: By now you may have heard—or even received an email from CPS—about Mayor Lightfoot's promise to improve staffing in our public schools. Let's be clear. Chicagoans voted for a candidate that said she would transform our public education system. But as...
CTU to mayor: Put promises into action in enforceable contract
We’ve been down this path of unfulfilled promises before with the previous mayor, who promised to expand early childhood education and improve special education—when today parents struggle even more to access these services for their children.
Bargaining update: Our fight for a fair contract for CPS students and educators
Bargaining Update: CPS contract fight These past few weeks have been busy. On July 18 and 19, the CTU and Mayor Lightfoot’s team presented arguments to the fact-finding panel—required under Section 4.5 of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act (IELRA)—as we try...
Beginning Tuesday: CTU ramps up organizing as contract fight heats up
3:30 p.m. Tues., July 23: officer/rank and file doorknocking. South Side, Chicago. Contact Chris Geovanis for location/to connect. 9:30 a.m. Wed., July 24: CTU joins SEIU Local 73 at Board of Education, 42 W. Madison, Chicago 3:30 p.m. Thurs., July 25: B-roll...
CTU VP Stacy Davis Gates provides update on day one of fact-finding, prospects for strike
2:30 p.m. briefing will take place at the office of CPS lead counsel Jim Franczek, 300 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago.
CPS rejects educational justice for students at bargaining table
Another fruitless negotiating session undercuts Lightfoot promise of real equity for CPS students, as Mayor and bargaining team refuse to invest $1 billion in new state funds in classrooms. CHICAGO—Over a thousand CPS classrooms are overcrowded, with students learning...
TODAY, 4:30PM – Bargaining update: Latest CPS contract proposals fail students
4:30 p.m. TODAY, Thurs., July 11: press conference/bargaining update CTU headquarters, 1901 W. Carroll, Chicago Less than eight weeks before students return to school, CPS and CTU remain far apart on equity demands for students and schools, as CPS stalls in investing...
Fighting for Fair Contracts
CTU is fighting for quality pay and benefits (including health care), full staffing in our schools, smaller class sizes and justice for students and families. Get updates and resources for our contract fights here.
