On today’s episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, we featured Tony Johnston, President of the Cook County College Teachers Union Local 1600, which represents nearly 5,000 members across Chicago and its suburbs. As union negotiations loom, Johnston discussed the organization’s priorities, including the challenges members face due to Chicago’s high cost of living and the city’s residency requirements. He also outlined the union's push for fair telework policies and described the potential impacts of artificial intelligence on education jobs. Johnston further highlighted ongoing efforts to create sustainable community college models and build protections for immigrant workers in a complex environment.
According to Johnston, one of the most pressing concerns is the high cost of living in Chicago, especially as property taxes rise and housing affordability becomes an increasingly daunting issue. The union represents a diverse group of education professionals, including faculty, adjunct instructors and support staff. Many younger faculty members struggle to afford homes within the city, and even part-time employees find it challenging to meet residency obligations given their limited wages. With contract negotiations approaching, the union is focused on advocating for salaries and benefits that match Chicago’s elevated living costs, particularly given the city's longstanding requirement that college employees live within city limits. Johnston emphasized that if the city of Chicago expects employees to live locally, adequate compensation is nonnegotiable.
Alongside economic and residency demands, the union is addressing workplace policies, particularly those related to telework. Although Chicago area colleges have introduced remote and telework options, practices vary widely between campuses and are often left to the discretion of individual supervisors. Johnston explained that while administration welcomes telework when it suits their needs, the union seeks a fair and consistent policy — such as guaranteeing a set number of remote days each week — that grants workers more control and stability in their schedules. He said this is especially critical in a post-pandemic landscape, where flexible work options have become not just a perk but an expectation for educational professionals.
Finally, Johnston discussed how technology is also reshaping the education sector, and artificial intelligence is a chief concern among the union’s members. He described a recent case in which a union member’s job was eliminated, with their duties now handled via automation. The union is responding proactively by proposing the creation of joint committees to oversee the implementation of AI, ensuring that worker voices are central to policy decisions. Johnston also advocated for professional development, empowering workers to adapt skills and avoid displacement. The core priority, Johnston insisted, is job security — ensuring no educators lose their livelihoods to automated systems and that technology serves students and workers, not the other way around.
Learn more about how the Cook County College Teachers Union is working to secure a fair future for Chicago’s education professionals by listening to the full episode above.
America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.
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