IFT Member Benefits

In addition to negotiating contracts, lobbying in the legislature and handling grievances, the IFT works to provide its members high quality consumer benefits and services to stretch your hard-earned dollar. At the national level, the AFL-CIO’s Union Plus program offers credit card, mortgage loan, insurance and other programs to help union families. The American Federation of Teachers offers AFT Plus, with additional discount programs for members. Member benefits may require dues payment, which begins when we ratify our first contract. If you have questions about a particular benefit, please contact us.

IFT Member Benefits Include:

  • Free $1 million Professional Liability Insurance
  • $25,000 Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance Policy
  • Insurance Discounts
  • Investment/Retirement Planning
  • Member Discounts
  • Personal Legal Services
  • Loan Services

Union Governance

The structure of our union is mostly determined by federal and state law, and the regulations of the IFT and AFT. Within those limits, we govern ourselves through bylaws and elected leaders. There are four elected officers and other elected delegates. Our bylaws can be found here

Union Positions

Per our union by-laws, officers are elected every 3 years. The current officers were elected in November, 2007. In addition to elected officers, there are volunteer positions e.g. Division Representative and Webmaster. These volunteers receive a stipend for their efforts. Other volunteers are needed periodically for tasks as varied as stuffing envelopes for a mailing or running the officers’ election. Please contact an officer or Division Rep if you’re interested in helping out. It usually doesn’t require a lot of time and it’s often fun!

Our affiliates

We are not simply a group of adjunct instructors. Our own organization of professional teachers employed by CLC is strong simply because it is organized and it includes so many of us. We also have the support of thousands of fellow union members in Lake County because we are a Council within Local 504, the Lake County Federation of Teachers. Your officers and delegates to the LCFT (and any other interested members) regularly meet with IFT members from all over Lake County.

Through the Illinois Federation of Teachers, we are affiliated with Local 2394, the union for CLC’s full-time instructors. We are also affiliated with other community colleges, adjuncts at colleges and universities, and many other unions. Our members attend meetings where we help the IFT marshal its resources for the good of adjunct instructors in higher education. As a relatively young organization, we also get invaluable information about how to best serve the adjuncts of CLC.

Through the American Federation of Teachers, we are affiliated with hundreds of colleges and universities, as well as thousands of other Local unions. Through the sponsorship of Local 504 and the IFT, we send one of our own as a representative at this level of union organization. When you return to classes in August, we’ll have a report about the AFT convention.

Our local’s building

Lake County Federation of Teachers building is frequently our meeting place, and the headquarters of our Local. Its address is 248 Ambrogio Drive in Gurnee. Ambrogio Drive is located between Highway 41 and Milwaukee Avenue, just north of Washington Street. The LCFT building is at the end of the small industrial subdivision on Ambrogio Drive.