Posts tagged Chicago
Chicago Teachers Union undermines yet another charter school
October 10, 2025 // There are currently 559 students enrolled in ChiArts, according to the district’s enrollment report for fall 2025. Four-in-five students are Black or Hispanic. Last year, the Acero Schools charter network announced it was closing seven of its 15 schools. As with ChiArts, CTU made a show of claiming it supported the parents and students affected by the closing of the seven Acero schools after its actions to hurt the school staffing, flexibility and ability to plan. Ultimately, CPS board members – appointed by CTU crony Mayor Brandon Johnson – voted to transition five of the Acero schools into district-run schools by the 2026-2027 school year. The absorbed schools will no longer be charters.
Museum of Science and Industry workers’ union votes to authorize strike
September 24, 2025 // The museum employees have been in contract negotiations for more than two years. Workers say 90% of eligible employees voted to strike, if necessary.
Tinley Park teachers union may strike Sept. 22
September 16, 2025 // Walking out on students has become a go-to strategy for many affiliates of the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the Illinois Education Association, the two biggest teachers unions in Illinois. Earlier this school year, Valley View Council Local 604, an affiliate of IFT, set a Sept. 18 strike date but reached a tentative agreement before walking out. The Naperville Unit Education Association, an affiliate of IEA, voted to authorize a strike but reached a tentative contract agreement one day later.
Naperville teachers authorize strike as school year begins without contract
August 14, 2025 // The Naperville Unit Education Association represents more than 1,500 teachers in the district. The president of the union told NBC Chicago they’ve been negotiating since February with the Board of Education and on Tuesday members voted to authorize a strike if necessary.
UPS Avoids Teamsters Strike at Largest Air Hub as Union Further Slams Buyouts
August 14, 2025 // The Teamsters alleged that the package delivery company had ignored or delayed answering complaints that they were regularly diverting airport distribution services to workers paid a lower rate. UPS agreed to a new settlement that solved a jurisdictional dispute between two Teamsters local branches at the maintenance center. In Chicago, the union secured a first contract for its administrative and specialist workers at Teamsters Local 705, with the new deal earning the employees the top wage rate for their respective job duties.
Amazon off-duty employees can use parking lots for union activity, NLRB judge rules
August 6, 2025 // In ruling against Amazon, the ALJ explained that NLRB has long held employers may not bar off-duty employees from outside nonworking areas, including parking lots. Amazon violated Section 8(a)1 of the NLRA when it tried to do this to keep off-duty employees from engaging in protected activity, the judge held. Amazon also violated Section 8(a)1 when it called the police to further bar protected activity, the ALJ said.
Chicago Board of Election workers should not be barred from unionizing, judge finds
July 17, 2025 // Attorneys for the board argued that because election workers are prohibited from engaging in “political activity” by the state’s election code, they should therefore be barred from joining SEIU. In legal filings, hired counsel for the board of election noted that SEIU 73 is politically active, lobbies legislatively and makes endorsements and financial contributions to political candidates. The union, for instance, helped propel Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who received more than $4 million in contributions from SEIU affiliates during his mayoral campaign, to victory.
Supreme Court clears way for Trump to downsize the federal workforce
July 10, 2025 // The labor unions and nonprofit groups that sued over the downsizing offered the justices several examples of what would happen if it were allowed to take effect, including cuts of 40% to 50% at several agencies. Baltimore, Chicago and San Francisco were among cities that also sued. “Today’s decision has dealt a serious blow to our democracy and puts services that the American people rely on in grave jeopardy. This decision does not change the simple and clear fact that reorganizing government functions and laying off federal workers en masse haphazardly without any congressional approval is not allowed by our Constitution,” the parties that sued said in a joint statement.
EPA union alleges political retaliation, Chicago workers put on leave after criticizing Trump
July 6, 2025 // Targos described the current climate at the EPA. "The mood is dark," Targos said. "We know that we are fighting back as hard as we can." According to the EPA administrator email obtained Friday by the I-Team, the unpaid suspension of these employees will last at least through July 17. It is not known what additional consequences they could face after that date.
Editorial: Unionizing Uber and Lyft drivers may speed up their robotic replacement
July 2, 2025 // Here’s the issue for drivers. Labor talks are playing out as Uber and its competitors are investing heavily in driverless vehicles, just like Tesla. Uber isn’t hiding that future. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi even told The Wall Street Journal this year he expects AVs to gradually overtake human drivers.