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Cook County College
Teachers Union
Local 1600

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Building Momentum Together — New IFT Leadership & Springfield Action Alert
Our union movement in Illinois is entering a bold new chapter, and the Cook County College Teachers Union is right at the heart of it. With the election of a new Illinois Federation of Teachers leadership team and a major action planned for Springfield next Wednesday, now is the time to strengthen our collective power and show what union solidarity looks like. A New IFT Leadership Team At thte IFT convention, delegates overwhelmingly elected a new leadership slate committed t
Oct 274 min read


CCCTU Statement Opposing Federal Militarization and ICE Surges in Chicago and the Suburbs
*The following statement was unanimously approved by the CCCTU House of Representatives on September 19, 2025 The Cook County College...
Sep 222 min read


CCCTU Statement Urging the Illinois General Assembly to Act on Transit Funding
*This statement was approved by the CCCTU House of Representatives on September 19, 2025 The Cook County College Teachers Union (CCCTU)...
Sep 222 min read


Academic Freedom Under Attack
Academic freedom and the First Amendment are not abstractions for scholars — they are the everyday conditions that make honest teaching,...
Sep 193 min read


Labor Day 2025 - Photos!
On Labor Day, members of our union proudly joined working people from across Chicago at the historic Haymarket Memorial to rally for...
Sep 41 min read


The federal windfall for the ultra-rich is Illinois’ opportunity to finally fund community colleges
By Troy Swanson, Legislative Chair Republicans just pushed through “The One, Big, Beautiful Bill,” which was called “the largest tax cut...
Aug 212 min read


HB 1859 Is Now Law: Illinois Affirms Human-Taught (not AI) Community College Courses
On August 15, 2025, Governor JB Pritzker signed HB 1859 into law, a landmark win for our students, our profession, and the integrity of...
Aug 212 min read


Governor Signs HB 3385: Licensed Mental Health Professionals Required on Illinois Campuses
On August 15 at 3 p.m., Governor JB Pritzker signed HB 3385 into law, a landmark piece of legislation that will take effect January 1,...
Aug 212 min read


CCC Contract Kick-Off
President Tony Johnston lauched the contract campaigns for the City Colleges of Chicago faculty and professional contracts during CCC...
Aug 141 min read


Educators Demand Progressive Revenue to Fund Public Education
On Thursday, July 31, members of the Chicago Teachers Union and the Cook County College Teachers Union held a joint press conference...
Jul 312 min read


Celebrating the 2025 NGS Scholarship & Union Activism Award Winners
The Cook County College Teachers Union is proud to congratulate this year’s recipients of the Norman G. Swenson (NGS) Scholarship and...
Jul 281 min read


A Blueprint for an Artificial Intelligence Future
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant prospect. It’s already reshaping our work and the curricula of our colleges. In the...
Jun 262 min read


No Kings Rally
On Saturday, June 14th, Cook County College Teachers Union members made their voices heard at Chicago’s No Kings Day Rally, a powerful...
Jun 171 min read


2025 Spring Session Recap
The General Assembly finally staggered to adjournment a few minutes after midnight on May 31, and it’s fair to say that those of us in...
Jun 43 min read


Demanding Democracy: Elected Board for CCC
Oak Park, IL — May 21, 2025 — Standing outside Illinois Senate President Don Harmon's district office, a coalition of Chicago City...
May 212 min read


Protecting the Human Heart of Education: CCCTU Supports HB 1859
In a time of rapidly evolving technology and artificial intelligence, the Cook County College Teachers Union (CCCTU), Local 1600, is...
May 162 min read


Standing Up for Equity: CCCTU’s Support for SB 2485 and Free Developmental Education
This May, our union’s voice was powerfully represented at the Illinois Senate Appropriations Committee hearing through the testimony of...
May 162 min read


AFT Higher Education Mass Mobilization and Nonviolent Direct Action Training
President Tony Johnston and Local 1600 Staff, Alex Schuler and Juan Ramos, traveled to Washington, D.C. this May for a union training...
May 162 min read


This is Why we March
On May Day, members and leaders of the Cook County College Teachers Union joined union members and community activists from across the...
May 81 min read


When Trump Talks About Cutting Higher Education Costs, He’s Talking About Cutting Us
As headlines tout Donald Trump’s promises to “reduce the cost of higher education,” it’s vital that we understand what this really means....
May 82 min read
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