The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is under federal scrutiny for allegedly failing to account for how it has spent union members’ dues over the past five years.
According to Fox News, a letter sent by the House Education and Workforce Committee to CTU President Stacy Davis Gates states that the union appears to have failed to provide complete financial audits since 2020.
“When unions flout these obligations, they betray the trust of the very people they are meant to serve … Every dollar paid by workers should serve their interests, not those of a select few operating in the shadows,” the committee wrote.
The letter also suggested that the union’s conduct may justify stronger federal reporting rules, giving members more timely and detailed financial information. Lawmakers are examining whether reforms to the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) are needed to “protect union members’ rights.”
“This failure to disclose financial information strips dues-paying members of their basic right to understand how their money is spent. The Committee intends to determine how this breakdown in transparency occurred, which will inform its potential reforms to the LMRDA,” the letter added.
CTU’s bylaws require annual audits, which must be published in the union newsletter and made available for members to inspect. However, the committee noted that CTU is more than five years behind on full annual audits. The letter cited reports that Davis Gates and other union leaders allegedly dismissed audit requests from members, calling them racially motivated “dog whistles.”
By Dec. 8, 2025, CTU must provide the committee with all unabridged audited financial reports from 2019 through 2024, as well as meeting minutes or equivalent records since Sept. 9, 2020, and responses to member audit requests.
The inquiry comes amid wider concerns over Chicago Public Schools (CPS) financial management. A Nov. 12 inspector general report found CPS staff spent $7 million in COVID relief funds on luxury hotels, conferences in Las Vegas, and international trips, including limousine rides and spa visits. The report said at least $18 million in travel expenses between 2021 and 2024 lacked proper approval.
Meanwhile, CPS faces ongoing challenges with staffing and enrollment. Chronic teacher absences persist, with 43.2% of teachers logging 10 or more absences during the 2024–25 school year, and total enrollment dropped 2.8% from the previous year to 316,224 students, according to Interim CEO Macquline King.
