There soon will be a new president of the Chicago Teachers Union — as three contenders battle for the chance to lead one of Chicago’s most influential unions through a new contract, the historic transition to an elected school board and the persistent COVID-19 pandemic.
This race has been particularly rancorous, with two election-related lawsuits set to be decided after the union’s 25,000 members cast votes Friday. Since there is no public polling, one Chicago labor researcher said “it’s anybody’s guess” which of the three slates will win the “heated” contest that has drawn significant attention during a busy election season.
“The community should care about this election because the Chicago Teachers Union plays such a big role in Chicago politics, and these are the teachers of our children,” said Steven Ashby, professor in the University of Illinois’ labor education program and co-author of “A Fight for the Soul of Public Education: The Story of the Chicago Teachers Strike,” on the 2012 CTU walkout.
