The U.S. Labor Department and United States trade representatives will take part in trans-Atlantic tripartite trade and labor discussions with businesses as well as unions.
The meetings are intended to be an ongoing series. Organizers hope to meet at least once each year.
"The Trade and Labor Dialogue will elevate workers’ voices in our cooperative trade and labor efforts with the European Union," Thea Lee, Department of Labor deputy undersecretary for International Affairs, told the DOL Newswire recently.
Lee hopes the dialogue will be inclusive and open up new avenues.
"An inclusive dialogue will create innovative opportunities for transatlantic cooperation aimed at strengthening and protecting labor rights globally," she said in a recent DOL news release. "We welcome stakeholders’ ideas and perspective and look forward to the dialogue’s first meeting."
Other officials believe it is important that the parties involved bring different perspectives and ideas to the table.
"By bringing stakeholders with diverse views together and hearing directly from them, this new tripartite dialogue will be an important step forward in continuing to implement a worker-centered trade policy," Joshua Kagan, assistant U.S. trade representative for Labor, said in the release.
He also hopes that all involved will be sure to take advantage of the opportunity.
"Utilizing this dialogue to promote internationally recognized labor rights is a top priority for us, and we look forward to the opportunities this dialogue will create to deepen transatlantic engagement on issues important to workers," Kagan said.
