Freedom of Information Gold Mine

I found an excellent resource for you fellow union stewards, union officers and curious people: It's the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) department at the CTA. 

The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) makes Illinois government more transparent by allowing the public to request public records in the form in which they are maintained.  Generally, the Illinois FOIA provides a process to access government records while protecting the legitimate interests of the government and the privacy rights of citizens. Read more at the State of Illinois website (summary here).

Moreover, if you make an account, you can submit and track multiple requests. Check it out at https://www.transitchicago.com/foia/

I have used it to obtain secret agreements, CTA rules and to dig into cases. Sometimes you get nothing useful. However, when you do, it's enlightening.

You can use mail, fax, email and in-person. However, the online portal seems best to me.