CHICAGO, Ill. – The Chicago Teachers Union announced on Jan. 29 that its members had voted to merge
with the Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff.
The Chicago Teachers Union said 70 percent of its members voted to support the creation of a charter school division within the union. In a similar vote last June, 84 percent of the charter school union endorsed the merger. Before the amalgamation can take place, the Chicago Teachers Union will need to amend its constitution to accommodate the new members.
Over the past two decades, Chicago has seen a dramatic expansion in the number of charters. Since 2009, the Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachers has organized about 1,000 educators at more than 30 charter school campuses.
“We’ve declared that we’re stronger together in one big union,” said Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey. “We’ve embraced our common struggle to support our workers, our students, their parents and our neighborhoods.”
