AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler and U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis will kick off the second annual Next Up Young Workers Summit in Minneapolis tomorrow. Hundreds of young working people, including organizers and students from across the country, will meet in Minneapolis Sept. 29-Oct. 2 for the Summit, part of the AFL-CIO’s efforts, led by Shuler, to reach out to working people under age 35.  

You can watch a live webcast of Shuler and Solis here this Thursday beginning at 5:00 p.m. CDT.

 Another highlight of the summit will be appearances by actors Lucas Neff (left), star of the Fox sitcom “Raising Hope” and RJ Mitte (left) from the TV show “Breaking Bad.” Both are members of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). In March Neff joined actors Susan Sarandon and Tony Shalhoub in Madison, Wis., for an all-day series of rallies that sent a message to Republican legislators and Gov. Scott Walker that the assault on working people will not stand and their struggle is far from over. Neff told the crowd:

This is not the government of Scott Walker, this is not the government of the Koch brothers, this is the government of the people, by the people and for the people. And we the people will not be defeated. 

 Workshops, plenaries and caucuses  for the conference, which is centered on “Educating, Empowering and Mobilizing Young Workers for a Just 21st Century Economy,” will focus on building a collective vision for a new generation of working people in the country. The current economic crisis is a main part of the agenda as well as pathways to building a just economy and the ongoing attacks on workers’ rights from state legislatures.

Check out the final agenda for the summit here and don’t forget to tune in for Liz Shuler’s keynote tomorrow.