Chicago Teachers Union Inc.: How the clout-heavy labor group spends its money

[Geee]

Chicago Sun Times

As it geared up for a two-week strike last fall, the Chicago Teachers Union spent nearly $1.5 million from the dues it collects from members on lobbying and other political activity, a Chicago Sun-Times examination of the clout-heavy union’s finances has found.

That was over the 15-month period between March 2018 and July 2019.

The money was on top of $1.2 million that the CTU’s two political action committees gave union-friendly candidates and political organizations.

And a union foundation has cut back sharply on the money it gave to charities and like-minded groups — to $1 million in 2018 from $1.9 million the previous two years.

That’s according to the Sun-Times’ review of tax and campaign-finance filings as well as documents the union for the first time is required to file with the U.S. Department of Labor.Those offer a more detailed picture than previously has been available to show how the 24,000-member labor group spends its substantial wealth.

The requirement to make that detailed financial filing was triggered by the March 2018 merger of the previously shrinking CTU and the growing union representing teachers at privately managed charter schools.