The union that represents faculty and staff at the City University of New York is set to launch on Monday a digital ad campaign to back the passage of a multi-year funding plan that send $1.7 billion to the public higher education system.

The ad campaign from the Professional Staff Congress/CUNY is backing a proposed $1.7 billion package over five years that is backed in the Legislature by state Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Karines Reyes called the New Deal for CUNY.

“CUNY has been the bedrock of so many New Yorkers’ futures - for students of color, working families and immigrants,” the ad says.

The ads will run on multiple social media and online media platforms for the next several weeks.

The ad campaign also comes after Gov. Kathy Hochul last week proposed a $216 billion budget that would boost spending at both the City University of New York and State University of New York systems.

Funding for CUNY's senior colleges would increase by $170 million under Hochul's budget plan and keeps funding steady at community colleges amid a decline in enrollment.

“Free, well-funded high quality public higher education for the public college students of New York City is within our reach,” said Professional Staff Congress President James Davis. “Our union members are excited to mobilize around the vision for the New Deal for CUNY, and are eager to work with our coalition partners and elected officials to make it a reality.”