Chicago Teachers Union

What Chicago Teachers Union does

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), founded in 1937 and headquartered at 1901 W. Carroll Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, is a labor union and the sole collective bargaining agent for approximately 25,000-30,000 teachers, paraprofessionals, school-related personnel, and clinicians working in Chicago Public Schools (CPS), with additional representation of charter school educators through its CTU-ACTS division under neutrality agreements with operators such as Acero, ASPIRA, ChiArts, Instituto, and Art In Motion. The union is governed democratically by a 600-member House of Delegates and elected officers, and is affiliated with the AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT), Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL), and ISFL-CIO.

CTU's core service portfolio includes collective bargaining (most recently the 2024-28 contract ratified in April 2025 with near 100% member support), contract enforcement and grievance handling via field representatives in every school, professional development through the QUEST CENTER and the Nurturing Teacher Leadership program (94%+ National Board Certification success rate vs. ~47% national average), political advocacy via the CTU PAC and co-founded United Working Families, and the Sustainable Community Schools initiative expanding to 51 campuses in 2026 toward a contractual target of 70 schools by 2028. The underlying technology stack is conventional: a MemberLink member portal, a searchable web contract at contract.ctulocal1.org, digital grievance tracking, and Action Network-based digital advocacy tools — there is no proprietary AI or advanced technical IP disclosed.

CTU operates as a member-funded nonprofit labor organization: revenue derives primarily from dues deducted from member paychecks (roughly $18M-$30M implied across 25,000-30,000 members at typical large-city teachers' union dues rates), supplemented by voluntary PAC contributions via payroll deduction or credit card, and ancillary foundation revenue through the 501(c)(3) Chicago Teachers Union Foundation. Specific revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The union's go-to-market is community-led organizing — worksite-based delegate recruitment, monthly House of Delegates meetings, coalition campaigns with parents and community groups, political endorsements and Get Out The Vote operations, and major public events such as the annual Bud Billiken Parade — rather than commercial sales motions.

Name

Chicago Teachers Union

Legal name

Chicago Teachers Union

Website

https://ctulocal1.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Chicago Teachers Union is the sole collective bargaining agent for approximately 30,000 teachers, paraprofessionals, and clinicians in Chicago Public Schools, providing contract negotiation, grievance support, professional development, and political advocacy funded by member dues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Union Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs (EDAJAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Undergraduate Teacher Education Colleges (EDAHAFAA)

Keywords

• Labor union representation
• Collective bargaining services
• Educator advocacy
• Professional development
• Political action

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Dues: The union operates as a membership organization funded through dues paid by teachers, paraprofessionals, and clinicians. CTU also collects PAC contributions from members through payroll deduction and optional credit card contributions for political activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is a labor union that represents more than 25,000-30,000 teachers, paraprofessionals, school-related personnel and clinicians working in Chicago Public Schools as their exclusive collective bargaining agent. It negotiates and enforces collective bargaining agreements, processes grievances, delivers professional development through the QUEST CENTER and Nurturing Teacher Leadership program, operates a political action committee (CTU PAC), and runs member-facing resources such as the MemberLink portal and the Sustainable Community Schools initiative.

Product overview

CTU is a labor union representing over 30,000 teachers, paraprofessionals, school-related personnel, and clinicians in Chicago Public Schools. The organization provides member services including contract representation, grievance handling, professional development through the QUEST CENTER and Nurturing Teacher Leadership program, political advocacy via the CTU PAC, member portal access through MemberLink, and various organizing tools for delegates and field representatives. CTU also publishes research reports and advocates for educational policy through its legislative action program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MemberLink Portal
• QUEST CENTER for Professional Learning
• Nurturing Teacher Leadership
• CTU PAC
• Member Contract Services
• Sustainable Community Schools Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 94%+ success rate for National Board Certification through Nurturing Teacher Leadership program, compared to ~47% national average
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and significant.

• Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL)coreOthersAffiliated labor federation representing Chicago-area unions. CTU is part of the CFL, which coordinates labor activities across the Chicago metropolitan area and participates in events like the Chicago Labor Day Parade.
• Illinois State Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (ISFL-CIO)coreOthersState-level AFL-CIO federation representing Illinois labor unions. CTU affiliation connects it to statewide labor coordination and legislative advocacy.
• American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)coreOthersNational labor federation representing 12.5 million working people. CTU affiliation provides national labor movement resources, political infrastructure, and solidarity support.
• Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT)coreOthersState federation of teachers' unions in Illinois. CTU President Stacy Davis Gates serves as IFT President alongside expanded leadership slate. Coordinates teacher union activities statewide and advocates for education funding.
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT)coreOthersNational union of teachers and school-related personnel with 1.7 million members. CTU Vice President Jackson Potter serves on AFT committees. Provides national resources, professional development support, and political infrastructure.
• United Working FamiliescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolitical organization co-founded by CTU. CTU President Davis Gates serves as Party Chair. Raises funds and elects progressive candidates to city, county, and state governments.
• Action Center on Race & the Economy (ACRE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner organization focused on racial and economic justice. CTU President Davis Gates serves on ACRE board, coordinating campaigns on education funding and corporate accountability.
• Grassroots CollaborativesignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of community and labor organizations working on economic and social justice issues in Chicago. CTU participates in coalition campaigns for progressive taxation and public investment.
• Chicago Teachers Union Foundation (CTUF)coreOthers501(c)(3) charitable arm of CTU providing professional development, scholarships, and community programs including Environmental Justice Freedom School. Runs Quest Center for professional learning and National Board Certification support.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA): Los Angeles teachers union, an NEA/AFT affiliate. UTLA is a closely comparable large-urban local teachers union with similar community-unionism tactics, strike history, and political coalition work in a major U.S. city.
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT): National teachers union of which CTU is a directly affiliated local. AFT represents 1.7 million members and shares CTU's professional development, political action, and collective bargaining mission, making it the most direct institutional peer.
• United Federation of Teachers (UFT): New York City teachers union and one of the largest AFT locals. UFT serves as a comparable large-city teachers union with similar collective bargaining, professional development, and political action programs targeting a major urban school district.
• Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT): Local AFT affiliate representing Philadelphia public school educators. PFT is a comparable mid-to-large urban teachers local with collective bargaining, grievance handling, and political action structures similar in design to CTU's.
• Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT): Statewide AFT affiliate of which CTU is a member. IFT coordinates teacher-union activities across Illinois and shares leadership with CTU (Stacy Davis Gates serves as IFT President), making it a tightly coupled governance peer.

Broad incumbents

• California Teachers Association (CTA): One of the largest state-level teachers unions in the U.S. and an NEA affiliate. CTA is comparable in mission (collective bargaining, professional development, political advocacy for public education) but operates at much larger geographic scale.
• Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL): Chicago-area AFL-CIO labor council that includes CTU. CFL coordinates labor activities across the Chicago metro and offers a peer view of how a regional labor body operates political and organizing infrastructure alongside CTU.
• National Education Association (NEA): The largest U.S. labor union and professional employee association, with ~3 million members. As the national counterpart to AFT, it represents teachers and school staff at scale and competes with CTU's affiliate model in adjacent states.
• AFL-CIO: National labor federation representing 12.5 million workers, of which CTU is a directly affiliated member. AFL-CIO is a peer at the federation level for political strategy, coalition building, and national advocacy infrastructure supporting CTU.
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU): Major national union representing healthcare, public service, and property service workers. SEIU is a peer in the labor-movement ecosystem with overlapping political infrastructure (CTU-SEIU coalitions, shared super PAC activity) and similar scale of political spending.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ctulocal1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CTUTV1
• Facebookfacebook.com/ctulocal1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chicago Teachers Union