Chicago Teachers Union
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1937
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Chicago Teachers Union firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Chicago Teachers Union industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Chicago Teachers Union is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Chicago Teachers Union business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- 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
Chicago Teachers Union product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Chicago Teachers Union
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Chicago Teachers Union technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Chicago Teachers Union partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and significant.
- Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL)coreAffiliated 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)coreState-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)coreNational 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)coreState 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)coreNational 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 FamiliescorePolitical 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 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 CollaborativesignificantCoalition 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)core501(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
Chicago Teachers Union competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Chicago Teachers Union social profiles
Digital presenceChicago Teachers Union financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chicago Teachers Union leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Chicago Teachers Union subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Chicago Teachers Union funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chicago Teachers Union M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chicago Teachers Union
What does Chicago Teachers Union do?
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.
Is Chicago Teachers Union a public or private company?
Chicago Teachers Union is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Chicago Teachers Union founded?
Chicago Teachers Union was founded in 1937. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Chicago Teachers Union based?
Chicago Teachers Union is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Chicago Teachers Union make money?
One revenue line is on record: member Dues.
Who are Chicago Teachers Union's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), United Federation of Teachers (UFT), Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT) and Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT). Broad incumbents are California Teachers Association (CTA), Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL), National Education Association (NEA), AFL-CIO and Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
Does Chicago Teachers Union have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chicago Teachers Union.
What industry is Chicago Teachers Union in?
Chicago Teachers Union's product category is Labor Union Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAAAJ, Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs, with a secondary code of EDAHAFAA, Undergraduate Teacher Education Colleges. Its NAICS code is 61171 and its SIC code is 8600.