Statement from AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler on the release of the Biden administration’s new global labor directive:
We applaud President Biden’s announcement today of the Presidential Memorandum on Advancing Worker Empowerment, Rights, and High Labor Standards Globally, a framework that will reshape how U.S. government agencies conduct international diplomacy by putting workers’ rights and standards at the center.
Across the globe, working people are united in our fight against growing corporate overreach and abuse, low wages, attacks on organizing, the absence of strong benefits and poor working conditions. This new strategy is a major victory for workers everywhere and underscores that workers’ rights are essential to our country’s national and foreign policy, and national and economic security. This framework will leverage diplomacy to promote internationally recognized labor rights and worker organizing; create measures that enable swift responses to violence and threats against trade union leaders, activists and organizations; improve the capacity of U.S. agencies and foreign missions to engage with workers and their representatives to improve the lives of working people; and enhance and enforce fair trade practices. The directive recognizes that no matter where we live, all workers deserve dignity and respect on the job.
We need a global economy that puts working people at the center, and we look forward to collaborating with the Biden administration to implement and execute the strategy with our partners and allies at home and abroad.
Contact: Liz Vlock, 202-637-5018