Chicago City Wire

Chicago Mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson recently received $500,000 more from the American Federation of Teachers. 

The AFT has now given $2.2 million to Johnson, the Cook County Commissioner for the 1st District. Of the campaign donations received by him, 93 percent have come from public sector unions, and teacher’s unions have given 62 percent of that worth $5.6 million. The Chicago Teachers Union has also pitched in $2.3 million.

“Compare that to the 2019 election, when AFT, IFT and CTU gave less than $500,000 – combined – to candidate Toni Preckwinkle’s failed Chicago mayoral campaign,” Illinois Policy wrote. “So what makes this election so different, that it has teachers unions spending millions and, in the case of CTU, even violating its own internal rules to use member dues for political purposes?” 

Illinois Policy notes Johnson, a former union organizer and teacher, has been paid $390,000 by the Chicago Teacher’s Union over the past five years and continues to be on their payroll. 

“Johnson is a CTU organizer, and getting him into City Hall means CTU dominance over Chicago ahead of the next contract negotiations,” Illinois Policy added. 

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic has recently targeted the AFT. U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), who chairs the committee, noted the Biden administration allowed the federation a voice in school closures. 

“The AFT is a political union, not a professional scientific or medical organization. Yet, CDC permitted the AFT to edit the Operational Strategy prior to its release,” Wenstrup wrote in his letter to the CDC. “The resulting published guidance advised keeping schools closed—contrary to the prevailing science—in greater than 90 percent of U.S. counties. The Select Subcommittee’s previous investigation into this matter uncovered that CDC deviated from standard practice. You granted AFT ‘uncommon’ access to revise and edit an internal draft of the Operational Strategy at least two weeks prior to its release, even making line-by-line additions. The AFT’s input and access coincidentally shifted CDC’s guidance to align with AFT’s agenda—keeping schools closed.” 

The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic notes the prolonged closures of schools in places like Chicago led to mental health issues, learning loss, and poor health outcomes. 

“We are aware that the CDC sought input from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) regarding the CDC’s February 12, 2021, COVID-19 school reopening guidance titled, ‘Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Prevention’ (Operational Strategy),” Wenstrup wrote in a letter to AFT. “We are concerned about the potential for undue influence of non-governmental groups on CDC scientific guidance, and therefore, request documents and information on your organization’s knowledge of this matter."

The Chicago Teachers Union in particular blamed Covid when it sought to extend winter break at the beginning of 2022. Nearly three-fourths of the union members voted to return to remote learning only, at the time. 

Teachers in the Chicago Public Schools who chose not to take part in that labor action were threatened by their peers, who pretended to be worried about Covid, Chicago City Wire reported.  

The CTU, which represents 25,000 employees in Chicago Public Schools, the fourth largest district in the country with over 340,000, forced children into remote learning after a planned work action. CPS was previously the third-largest district but lost its spot when roughly 9,000 students did not enroll for the 2022-2023 school year.

The teacher’s unions lately have taken to a dirty politics campaign. Community members have been enraged by phony yard signs with Johnson’s opponent former CPS CEO Paul Vallas's name and a “MAGA” stamp that were linked to the union. 

“Are these are the signs CTU/CORE are putting out to Fool the Black community?” Rosita Chatonda said on Facebook. “They play on our lack of critical thinking. Why would these signs only go in Black communities and the Vallas camp was supposed to be putting MAGA signs out to hurt their own campaigns. BLACK PEOPLE DONT LET THE COMMUNIST LEFTIST PLAY YOU FOR A F.O.O.L. LET THEM KNOW WE ARE NOT AS UNDEREDUCATED AS THEY THINK.”