The Chicago Teachers Union, representing more than 25,000 educators, touts itself as “the most democratic institution devoted to this city’s schools.” But for more than four years, the CTU has failed to publish mandatory audited financial reports, an obligation 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 being spent.
The CTU’s constitution and bylaws are a binding contract between the union and its members. Under that contract, the union is obligated to publish annual audited financial reports to keep members informed about its finances. These audits are vital to maintaining transparency and trust, offering a clear accounting of how dues are spent. Yet the CTU has not published audited records 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 millions of dollars in union spending. The CTU even ceased publication of the magazine in which it previously published the audit, opting instead for private “bulletin” emails to members.
CTU members have every right to know how their own union is managing their financial contributions — especially after a 13% dues increase in 2024 pushed annual payments to more than $1,400 per member per academic year. This is why a group of longtime educators and union members has retained the Liberty Justice Center, a public-interest litigation firm, to file suit against the CTU to compel the union to produce the legally required missing audits.
Our clients — CTU members themselves — believe in the power of organized labor to advocate for 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 being used. And the CTU has been provided ample opportunity to comply, both through informal requests and again through a formal demand letter sent on Oct. 1.
The union’s response to that demand highlights the intimidation tactics used by CTU leadership to suppress dissent. CTU President Stacy Davis Gates attempted to publicly shame our clients on a memberwide call, reading their names and invoking Project 2025 to frame their request as part of a “right-wing” effort. This tired and false playbook — deflecting responsibility and attacking critics — is a transparent distraction from the core issue: the CTU’s failure to provide financial transparency to its members.
The CTU then compounded its mistreatment of members by telling them that they could see the audits only if they made an appointment to view them in person — flouting the CTU’s obligation to furnish the audit directly. This would place the burden on busy educators to take time out of their workday to review the union’s finances — a process the union could easily facilitate instead through a simple email to members.
This is a critical moment for Chicago teachers, who expect the union to represent their interests as the city navigates the recent upheaval in its Board of Education. By withholding legally required financial audits, CTU leadership failed to meet its legal obligations and betrayed the trust of its members. CTU must seize this opportunity to correct course, release the missing audits and demonstrate its commitment to transparency.
Chicago educators — and taxpayers — deserve nothing less.
Dean McGee is senior counsel at Liberty Justice Center, where he leads the firm’s educational freedom practice. Liberty Justice Center is representing the plaintiffs pro bono.
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