City Colleges of Chicago Faculty and Staff Begin Strike Vote

[CHICAGO, IL] – Faculty and professional staff at the City Colleges of Chicago are voting now on whether to authorize a strike. The vote began on Friday, September 18, and will continue until September 23.

The Cook County College Teachers Union (CCCTU), Local 1600, has been negotiating since February of 2026 to reach fair contracts with the City Colleges of Chicago. The contracts for both faculty and professionals expired on July 15, 2026. The City Colleges and Local 1600 are still far apart at the negotiating table.

“It is unfortunate that we have reached the point where we are asking our members to authorize a strike. We don’t want to strike, but we will do what is necessary to fight for the colleges our students and communities deserve,” said Tony Johnston, President of CCCTU, Local 1600.

The union is asking for the contract to reflect the realities of teaching and learning in 2026, including artificial intelligence protections, wages that reflect today’s inflation and economic conditions, free developmental education courses for students, and reduced class sizes. Johnston called on Chancellor Juan Salgado to send his administrators back to the table with serious proposals that will address the needs of students and our colleges.

If a strike is authorized by the membership, the negotiation teams will decide when a strike is called. The union remains eager and willing to negotiate a fair contract with the City Colleges of Chicago.

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

###