The U.S. Department of Labor and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will participate in the trans-Atlantic tripartite Trade and Labor Dialogue to discuss trade and labor issues.
Trade unions, businesses and governments in the U.S. and Europe will participate in the talks at least annually, the U.S. officials announced at the U.S.-European Union Trade and Technology Council Ministerial meeting May 15-16 in Paris, according to a May 19 Department of Labor release.
“The Trade and Labor Dialogue will elevate workers’ voices in our cooperative trade and labor efforts with the European Union,” Thea Lee, deputy undersecretary for International Affairs for the Department of Labor, said, according to the release.
The dialogue will be important for a worker-centered trade policy through having stakeholders share their diverse views, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Labor Joshua Kagan said, the release reported.
“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, according to the release.
This inclusive dialogue will create innovative opportunities for transatlantic cooperation that should strengthen and protect labor rights across the globe, Lee said in the release. She said the Department of Labor and the Trade Office look forward to the first meeting and to hearing stakeholders’ ideas and perspectives.
