Unions unite for digital campaign, “Building Better Lives Together”

A group of unions representing public workers across Minnesota will launch a digital advertising campaign this week to show how unions are building better lives for their members and all Minnesotans.

The campaign, “Building Better Lives Together,” will begin Tuesday with ads on YouTube, Pandora, Hulu and other video channels. The organizers plan to run the campaign through the summer.

The campaign features interviews with six members of public sector unions. They discuss issues affecting the lives of Minnesota families, including student debt, affordable higher education, paid sick time, accessible health care, equitable wages and retirement security.

The videos will be posted at www.bettertogethermn.com, and will be shared on social media using the hashtag #betterlivesMN. Line Break Media of Minneapolis and the Clarify Agency of San Francisco created the videos and website.

The campaign starts about three weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments on Feb. 26 on Janus v. AFSCME Council 31. The lawsuit seeks to financially destabilize unions to benefit the corporate CEOs and billionaires who have already rigged so much of the economy against working people. The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, which receives funding from various conservative sources such as the Bradley Foundation of Milwaukee, Wis., represents the plaintiff.

The Public Sector Union Alliance, or PSUA, includes: AFSCME, Education Minnesota,SEIU, MAPE, Teamsters 320, Middle Management Association, Minnesota Nurses Association and Inter Faculty Organization.