For years, Elevation has provided marketing and communications services to the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA), the union representing more than 70,000 public employees, and in particular workers within the construction industry. This past year, Elevation has focused on brand and recruitment initiatives to motivate construction workers to organize with LiUNA. As labor unions have lost public support, their membership has declined, making these types of projects more critical.
During the worst of the pandemic, building construction efforts continued and workers were considered “essential” – although they were not treated as such. Elevation developed the “You Are Essential” campaign to emphasize laborers’ rights to a safe workplace (even in a pandemic), paid sick leave, pandemic sick leave, workers’ compensation, and accurate wages and overtime pay. The campaign ran on digital platforms, social media channels, and radio, and generated more than 500 inquiry calls.
