CTU's Stacy Davis Gates Meets Pope Leo XIV in 5,000-Mile Trip as Critics Question Timing
Updated
Updated · WLS-TV · May 28
CTU's Stacy Davis Gates Meets Pope Leo XIV in 5,000-Mile Trip as Critics Question Timing
6 articles · Updated · WLS-TV · May 28
Stacy Davis Gates spent Thursday in Vatican City with a 40-plus-person Chicago delegation, meeting Pope Leo XIV and presenting him a CTU strike pin while state budget talks and school funding fights continued at home.
Critics called the 5,000-mile trip hypocritical because Davis Gates had recently warned Chicago schools faced a "five-alarm fire" and urged pressure on Springfield for more money.
CTU allies defended the visit, saying the pope's calls to invest in people and honor workers align with union values, and noting CTU lobbyists were already working in Springfield.
The trip also revived criticism of Davis Gates' opposition to private-school vouchers, including aid used by some Catholic-school students, even as supporters argued public funds should stay in public education.
Chicago's delegation returns Saturday, leaving Davis Gates a narrow window to join lobbying before Illinois' spring session ends Sunday.
When a union boss meets the Pope, can shared labor values bridge the deep divide over school choice?
Is a union leader's Vatican visit a strategic play for funding or a betrayal of members during a crisis?