The Chicago Teachers Union, which represents more than 25,000 teachers, boasts as “the most democratic institution devoted to the schools of this city.” But for more than four years, the CTU has not issued mandatory audited financial reports, a requirement intended to maintain transparency and trust between CTU leadership and its members. This raises serious concerns about how union dues – paid by educators from taxpayer-funded salaries – are spent.
The CTU Constitution and Bylaws constitute a binding contract between the union and its members. Under this contract, the union is required to publish annual audited financial reports to keep members informed of its finances. These audits are essential to maintaining transparency and trust, providing a clear accounting of how contributions are spent. Yet the CTU has not released audited accounts of its finances since 2020, when it released a report covering the first half of 2019. Since then, educators and taxpayers have been left in the dark about the millions dollars in union expenses. The CTU itself ceased publication of the magazine in which he previously published the auditopting instead for private “newsletter” type emails to members.
CTU members have every right to know how their own union handles their financial contributions. — especially after a Increase in contributions of 13% in 2024 pushed annual payments to more than $1,400 per member per academic year. That’s why a group of longtime educators and union members retained the Liberty Justice Centergeneral interest litigation firm, for file a complaint against the CTU to force the union to produce legally required missing audits.
Our clients – CTU members themselves – believe in the power of the labor movement to defend the interests of educators. They also believe in accountability and transparency: union leaders cannot claim to represent the best interests of educators while keeping them in the dark about how their dues are used. And the CTU has had ample opportunity to comply, both through informal requests and again through a letter of formal notice sent October 1st.
The union’s response to this request highlights the intimidation tactics used by CTU leaders to suppress dissent. CTU President Stacy Davis Gates attempted to publicly shame our clients in a call to all of our members, reading their names and invoking Project 2025 to frame their request under of a “right-wing” effort. This hackneyed and false strategy – deflecting responsibility and attacking critics – is an obvious distraction from the main problem: the CTU’s inability to provide financial transparency to its members.
The CTU then escalated its mistreatment of its members by telling them they could only see the audits if they made an appointment to see them in person – ignoring the CTU’s obligation to provide the audit directly. audit. This would require busy educators to take time out of their workday to review the union’s finances — a process the union could easily facilitate by sending a simple email to members.
It’s a critical moment for Chicago teachers, who expect the union to represent their interests as the city deals with recent upheaval in its school board. By refusing legally required financial audits, CTU management failed to comply with its legal obligations and betrayed the trust of its members. The CTU must seize this opportunity to rectify the situation, publish the missing audits and demonstrate its commitment to transparency.
Chicago educators – and taxpayers – deserve nothing less.
Dean McGee is a senior attorney at the Liberty Justice Center, where he leads the firm’s educational freedom practice. Liberty Justice Center represents plaintiffs pro bono.
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