The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is currently negotiating a new contract with the public schools system, with demands that include an extra $50 billion to cover wage hikes and various other requirements. These demands include fully paid abortions for members, services for migrants, and LGBT-related training in schools. The union’s requests are being made despite underwhelming results for students in Chicago, with only 21 percent of eighth graders proficient in reading.
The leaked document detailing CTU’s demands reveals plans for members to receive yearly 9% wage increases through fiscal year 2028. This would result in an average salary of $144,620 for teachers in the 2027-2028 school year, more than double the median household income in Chicago. The union’s demands also include a $1,000 stipend per student per semester for teachers assigned above contractual limits, and a $2,500 retirement bonus for employees with over 30 years of service.
CTU’s demands have faced criticism, with the union’s president, Stacy Davis Gates, under fire for sending her son to a private school after calling school choice racist. The union’s deep ties to Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former CTU legislative coordinator, highlight the influence the CTU holds in city politics. The leaked demands also seek 100% coverage benefits for abortion and fertility care, as well as allocating funds for migrants and converting school facilities into housing for migrants.
The union’s demands extend beyond financial benefits, with a focus on social justice provisions such as LGBTQ+ training for workers and educators as a qualification in their job description. CTU also aims to mandate gender-neutral bathrooms in every school and adopt policies prohibiting parents from being informed when a student rejects their sex. Mailee Smith, senior director of labor policy at the Illinois Policy Institute, has criticized the demands as more of a political agenda than a focus on supporting teachers’ wages and student education.
With the CPS budget exceeding $9 billion this year, including a significant increase in teacher salaries, taxpayer funds are at stake. The demands put forth by CTU require a sweeping overhaul of finances and potentially new revenues, leading to concerns about increased taxes for residents. Negotiations for the new contract are ongoing, with calls for Mayor Johnson to recuse himself due to his deep ties to CTU. The union’s audacious demands are sparking debate about the priorities in education funding and the potential implications for Chicago residents.
