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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 21, 20252 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 21, 20252 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 21, 20252 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 14, 20251 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 31, 20252 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 28, 20251 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 26, 20252 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 17, 20251 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 4, 20253 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 21, 20252 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 16, 20252 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 16, 20252 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 16, 20252 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 8, 20251 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 8, 20252 min read


Trump! Stop the Attacks on our Students!
As a union of educators, we are deeply alarmed by recent actions targeting international students, many of them Palestinian or...
May 2, 20251 min read


Illinois Senate Democrats Hit the Road to Fight for Progressive Revenue
On Saturday, April 27, the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus launched a dynamic Progressive Revenue Bus Tour across Chicagoland. The...
Apr 28, 20252 min read


Union Voice Newsletter
Based on a member survey and to better communicate with you, we're starting a new weekly email newsletter of what's happening in our...
Apr 25, 20251 min read


Pushing for an Elected CCC Board of Trustees: SB 1693 Policy Brief
On April 23, President Tony Johnston and Legislative Chair Troy Swanson hosted a policy brief over Zoom for elected officials to discuss...
Apr 24, 20251 min read


Victory for Student Mental Health: HB 3385 Passes the Illinois House
We are thrilled to share that House Bill 3385 —a crucial step forward for student mental health—has officially passed the Illinois House...
Apr 11, 20252 min read
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