Green Labor Journal - Working for a Substainable Future

AFL-CIO Young Workers Summit, June 10-13, Washington, D.C.

"Next up is you" - Registration: FREE

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Shuler: Unions Must Change to Reach Young Workers
Unlike the young people on the TV show “The Real World” who live in a $5 million mansion and spend their time mired in reality TV drama, today’s young workers are living more like the folks on “Survivor,” AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler said.

No matter what your age, Shuler said, everyone agrees that ”our shared priority must be leading the fight for good jobs in America and rebuilding our economy so it works for people who work for a living—and that includes most of us.”

Creating the same kind of fundamental change that took place after the Depression and during the civil rights movement will require unity, she said.

“What we need is massive—a fundamental restructuring of the economy—a complete reversal of a 30-year, corporate-driven campaign to deprive working people of wages, security, a middle class, a strong government, a healthy democracy and power.

But it will take all of us—young, middle-aged and older, too—to change it. And the more we work together, the stronger we are.”

The Young Workers Summit provides you the opportunity to:
·    Meet other young workers who are fighting for economic and social justice in this nation and in the workplace.
·    Share your ideas about how all of us can reach out to other young workers in order to strengthen and grow our movement.
·    Hear from policy experts, labor leaders, student activists, community allies, political comedians, professional athletes and others committed to the same progressive causes you are—and find how you can effectively integrate their ideas into your work.
·    Talk with the AFL-CIO officers about your concerns and thoughts on the future of the labor movement.
·    Attend workshops that focus on topics identified by young workers across the country such as communications, organizing and mobilizing, issues facing this generation and integrating young workers into our programs.
·    Learn about the exciting work already happening to engage young workers and how you can build on it for your own community.
·    Gather knowledge and tools to share with your co-workers and peers.
·    Network with peers, other young activists and leaders from the broader progressive movement.

“Next Up” is you, and other emerging leaders, coming together at the first-ever national summit on young workers. In an economy where young workers are disproportionately hard hit, there are two options—lower our expectations or be Next Up in building a better future! This summit will be focused on looking at how all of us in the union movement can honor our past, build bridges to tomorrow and plan for what’s ahead in the labor movement.

The AFL-CIO is committed to a long-term, sustainable young worker program whose objectives are to attract, engage and empower young workers. This summit is the kick-off for that long-term program, and you can be a part of it by participating in the summit and sharing your concerns, contributing your skills and ideas about the role of young workers in shaping programs and lending your voice to developing policies and solutions that will help you make a difference in your own organization.

You are Next Up. Be at the Young Worker Summit in June and add your voice to our collective future.

Meals: Breakfast is provided each day of the summit, lunch is provided on Friday and Saturday, reception/dinner is provided on Thursday and Saturday. Bring money to pay for meals while traveling, dinner on your own Friday and snacks/beverages during the day.

For registration and information, please see Summit Information, Young Workers Summit. For the full text of AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler’s remarks, see AFL-CIO Now Blog, Shuler: Unions Must Change to Reach Young Workers.