CHICAGO – Faculty and professional staff at the City Colleges of Chicago have voted to authorize a strike. With nearly 1,300 members casting ballots, 96% voted yes to authorize a strike.
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CCCTU President Tony Johnston said, “This vote sends a strong message that our members reject what the City Colleges is offering at the table. We don’t want to strike, but our members have made it clear that they will take the steps necessary to ensure our community colleges continue to offer a quality education to the students of Chicago.”
The Cook County College Teachers Union, Local 1600, has been negotiating since February to secure fair contracts with the City Colleges of Chicago. Contracts for both faculty and professionals expired July 15, 2026. The parties are still far from reaching an agreement.
The union is asking for a contract that protects against artificial intelligence and reduces barriers to education for students. Faculty and professionals are fighting for free developmental education, so student financial aid isn’t drained on non-credit coursework, and reduced class sizes. They’re also asking for fair wage increases that reflect current economic conditions.
A strike date is not set, and negotiations continue with a federal mediator. Unless there is significant movement at the table, the union intends to announce a strike date during the next City Colleges board of trustees meeting on October 1.
About CCCTU, Local 1600
The Cook County College Teachers Union, Local 1600, represents more than 4,000 members at 14 community colleges in the Chicago area, including the seven City Colleges of Chicago. CCCTU is affiliated with the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the Chicago Federation of Labor, and the American Federation of Teachers. WWW.CCCTU.ORG.
The Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) represents 105,000 members who are teachers and paraprofessionals in PreK-12 school districts throughout Illinois, public employees, and faculty and staff at Illinois’ community colleges and universities. IFT’s nearly 20,000 higher education members are also affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP).
