Income inequality is the defining issue of our time, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) told a group of young progressive activists at the AFL-CIO headquarters yesterday. Ellison joined a panel of distinguished guests that included AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Elizabeth Shuler, Rep. Kevin Killer (D-S.D.), Special Assistant to the President for Labor and Workforce Policy Portia Wu and Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) Gregory Cendana, at the Youth Economic Policy Forum (YEPF) hosted by the AFL-CIO in Washington, D.C., Wednesday.

Forum attendees engaged in substantive discussions about a host of issues that are most crucial to the so-called Millennial generation, born between 1980-2000, including the fact that many good-paying jobs have been offshored, that the United States doesn't have a robust workforce development strategy, that younger people are losing ground relative to inflation and the student debt crisis. "We can't create wealth," said Michele Gilliam of Transport Workers (TWU) Local 100. YEPF wasn't just about identifying problems, though, it was also a conversation about doing something about those challenges.

Sarah Ann Lewis from AFL-CIO's Policy Department said that the forum was about reconnecting with youth. Sometimes it seems like the younger generation has forgotten about labor and sometimes it seems like labor has forgotten about youth. 

The forum was a first step toward changing that and creating an on-going conversation.

The forum also sparked a great conversation on Twitter. Here are the Top 12 Tweets from the #YEPF hashtag:

RT @maxberger: "I believe the union movement is the only vehicle for massive social change in America." - @richardtrumka #YEPF

— AFL-CIO (@AFLCIO) May 8, 2013

Via @aflcio: "Start organizing, don't ask for permission. Just do it!" @keithellison #yepf #p2 #ows #unions

— A L Freeland (@alfreeland) May 8, 2013

RT @sophiakerby: The majority of young workers are underemployed at 40% #yepf

— Mori (@imagineMOR) May 8, 2013

Amen. Economy is a social structure. Workers build it and keep it moving. It's not a part of nature says @keithellison #yepf

— AFL-CIO (@AFLCIO) May 8, 2013

Student loan debt isn't just a student issue it's a middle class stability issue @lizshuler @aflcio @aflcionxtup #yepf

—R Taylor Barden (@rtaylorb) May 8, 2013

RT @aflcio: RT @maxberger: I've been impressed thus far with the self critique and reflection by #AFLCIO at #yepf especially by @lizshuler.

— Carmen Spindiego(@CarmenSpinDiego) May 8, 2013

"We bailed out the big banks, when are we going to bail out students?" - @keithellison#YEPF #1u #OWS

— Next UP (@AFLCIONxtUp) May 8, 2013

PREACH! The labor movement needs to be intentional about connecting with communities of color#yepf @lizshuler

— Sophie (@SophiaKerby) May 8, 2013

"Politicians see the light when they feel the heat." -@keithellison SO! TRUE!!! #yepf

— Emily Crockett (@emilycrockett) May 8, 2013

Big focus by young people at #yepf: how to get their peers more engaged in politics and policy

— Kenneth Quinnell (@quinnelk) May 8, 2013

The AFL-CIO invited the young people at the forum to continue the conversation, and anyone else is welcome to join them at the AFL-CIO 2013 Convention website, which has discussion boards designed to give everyone a voice in talking about the future of workers in America.