Chicago City Wire

Despite a requirement to produce an internal financial audit annually, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) has not released one in four years. The last audit was published on September 9, 2020, covering the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 fiscal years.

An analysis by the Illinois Policy Institute found that only 17 cents of every CTU dollar is spent on member representation; the remainder is allocated to politicking, administrative costs, and other union leader priorities. In 2024, CTU raised member dues by 13% to over $1,400 annually and reported a $500,000 deficit in 2023 according to federal filings.

Additional union documents indicate that CTU tripled its political spending in 2023 compared to previous years. This includes nearly $2.3 million directed towards Brandon Johnson's mayoral campaign, a former union employee.

“This is a concerning trend for taxpayers, who fund the union’s demands, as well as for union members, who may not be seeing their everyday needs addressed or questions answered,” said Mailee Smith, senior director of labor policy at the Illinois Policy Institute. “The Chicago Teachers Union routinely asks for more taxpayer money – especially now as it’s undergoing contract negotiations – but it has failed to tell members how it spends their own money.”

Chicago Public Schools projected that fulfilling just 52 of CTU’s over 700 contract demands in the upcoming contract would create a $2.9 billion deficit for the district next fiscal year and a $4 billion shortfall by 2029. Many of these demands extend beyond traditional salary and benefits issues to include terms related to social justice and environmental concerns.

“It’s another example of the union leadership focusing on the wrong issues: too much emphasis on politics and not enough on serving their members,” Smith added.

For more information about CTU’s missing audits, visit illin.is/CTUspending.