President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday told U.S. President Joe Biden he’s the most worker-friendly American leader he’s seen, while Mr. Biden similarly exchanged pleasantries with his Brazilian counterpart.
“I watched your speech on Inauguration Day [in January 2021], and then more of your speeches. I had never seen a U.S. president talk so often and so well of workers,” Lula told Mr. Biden in New York.
The dialogue happened moments before both leaders launched the Partnership for Workers’ Rights, described by the White House as a “U.S.-Brazil global initiative to advance the rights of working people around the world”.
Challenges to be addressed by the initiative include worker exploitation, clean energy transition, workplace discrimination, and “technology and digital transitions, including the gig economy.” No specific policies were announced so far.
Lula congratulated the U.S. president for what he called Mr. Biden’s idea to address the growing precarization of work and low wages around the world. Lula added that the proposal can be further discussed during meetings of the G-20, which Brazil will preside over in 2024.
Lula called the partnership a “rebirth” in the U.S.-Brazil relationship, in which both countries will behave as “friends.”
Mr. Biden cited a recent Treasury Department report that showed that middle-class workers “reap substantial benefits from unionization,” and said that unions raise members wages by 10 to 15 percent.
“If the middle [class] does well, everybody does well,” Mr. Biden told Lula. “Working class folks have a chance to move up and the wealthy still do fine, as long as they pay their taxes.”
Mr. Biden added that he’s “really looking forward to working” with Lula. He said: “That’s why I sent you the best ambassador in America to make sure you are all set” – a reference to the U.S. Ambassador to Brazil, Elizabeth Bagley.
After Lula’s brief speech at the announcement of the bilateral initiative, Mr. Biden commended the Brazilian president: “Good job.”
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