Teamsters Local 877 President Doc Doherty explains why he's concerned about the safety of Phillips 66 workers and the community living around the plant. (Teamsters Local 877 is a member of WEC.) See Article Here
Could the kind of industrial fire and explosion that recently decimated a town in Texas happen here in New Jersey - the state with the greatest concentration of workplaces with hazardous chemicals in the nation? Full Articleby Amy Goldsmith, Director, NJ Environmental Federation, the state chapter of Clean Water Action and Rev. Fletcher Harper, Executive Director, GreenFaith (Goldsmith and Harper are members of WEC Board of Directors) April 25, 2013 - The Star Ledger
On March 21st 2013, the NJ State Appellate Court ruled to allow the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to issue waivers of important environmental and worker protections. THEY GOT IT WRONG! But, our Legislators can still override the rule to ensure safeguards that will protect our environment and workplaces. The DEP's waiver rule sets up a process to let wealthy corporations and individuals simply ignore the law. That's why twenty-eight labor and environmental organizations, including WEC, filed a lawsuit to block the DEP waiver rule. Governor Christie's Executive Order #2 mandated every state agency to create waivers that would essentially allow them to deregulate themselves. The first agency to enact a waiver rule was the Department of Environmental Protection. We need our Legislators to uphold safeguards that protect workers, communities, and the environment. Tell your Legislators to override the DEP waiver rule and all future waiver rules. TAKE ACTION Sign a petition to save our safeguards now! *We, the undersigned, call on all NJ legislators to stand up for our families and communities and... * Vote for resolutions that reject the waiver rules issued by the first two state agencies so far - the Department of Environmental Protection and Division [...]