Monthly Archives: February 2017

As many Americans are painfully aware, income inequality in the United States today is extreme and growing exponentially. In fact, as of 2014, the top CEOs takes home 844 times what the average worker makes. And New Jersey is no stranger to the effects of runaway inequality, according to a recent story on WNYC, being home to some of the wealthiest and some of the poorest individuals in the country. This extreme distribution of wealth is no accident, with extreme income disparity being more common in urban centers, and with income inequality (according to the Gini index, a frequently used measure for inequality) being lower between 2006-2010, a period immediately preceding the great recession. “The statewide rise in New Jersey income inequality is also reflected in the data for individual counties, which all except Cape May saw upticks in their Gini index scores.”   Meanwhile, Governor Christie has worked to cut taxes and fees for corporations, plunder the state budget, and attempted to cut himself a juicy book deal. Extreme income inequality is no accident; it occurs when economic and corporate elites work together to rig an economy against ordinary, working people. While Wall Street [...]

The New Jersey Education Association, New Jersey Work Environment Council (WEC) and Healthy Schools Now coalition recently released a report Health and Safety Guide: Mercury Hazard in Schools from Rubber-Like Polyurethane Floors. Written by WEC’s industrial hygiene consultants, the report alerts school officials and maintenance staff of the potential health risk of rubber-like polyurethane floors and recommends actions to reduce or eliminate resulting mercury exposure. Rubber-like polyurethane floors using 1,000 to 2,000 parts per million of phenyl mercuric acetate (PMA) catalyst have been installed in school multipurpose rooms, gyms, cafeterias, auditoriums, stages and indoor and outdoor tracks since the 1960s.  PMA breaks down and releases odorless, colorless mercury vapor at room temperatures. The floors and items that have been in contact with them emit mercury vapor indefinitely. Exposure is worse if floors are damaged or deteriorated, in hot rooms with poor ventilation or without air conditioning, or if outdoor air is not being pulled in. If floor removal is not going to take place in the near future, measures to limit mercury exposure should be implemented immediately.  At a minimum, these measures should include ensuring that rooms with rubber-like polyurethane floors have cool temperatures, good ventilation and ongoing air sampling.  [...]

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is exercising their new authority under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which amended the outdated (and ineffective) Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). EPA named the first ten priority chemicals for assessment and is tasked with evaluating these chemicals to ensure there is not an unreasonable risk of injury to health.  In determining risk, EPA is required to consider vulnerable populations including: workers, infants, children, pregnant women and the elderly. WEC is highlighting the chemicals in a series of blog posts with information on how to make your voice heard and tell your story about chemical exposure. Chemical Eight of Ten: Pigment Violet -29 (Perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracarboxydiimide) This chemical is a red-purple dye used to coat products and is found in inks, toners and polymers. Pigment Violet-29 is used in printing and recorded media reproduction and in the manufacture of plastic products, machinery and vehicles. Pigment Violet 29 is suspected of causing cancer and reproductive problems. Chemical Nine of Ten: Trichloroethelene (TCE) TCE is used in the manufacturing of refrigerants and is used as a commercial degreaser. It is also used as a spotting agent in dry cleaners, [...]

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is exercising their new authority under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which amended the outdated (and ineffective) Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). EPA named the first ten priority chemicals for assessment and is tasked with evaluating these chemicals to ensure there is not an unreasonable risk of injury to health.  In determining risk, EPA is required to consider vulnerable populations including: workers, infants, children, pregnant women and the elderly. WEC is highlighting the chemicals in a series of blog posts with information on how to make your voice heard and tell your story about chemical exposure. Chemical Five of Ten: Hexabromocyclododecane (a.k.a. HBCD or HBCDD) Hexabromocyclododecane, or HBCD, is used as a flame retardant in expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) and extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) used in the building and construction industry, mainly in the form of insulation boards. HBCD is also added to plastics used for electronics and appliances to make them more fire resistant and mixed into the back coating of textiles. While it is no longer widely used in the coatings of new home furnishings like upholstery, window blinds, draperies and wall coverings, HBCD is [...]

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is exercising their new authority under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which amended the outdated (and ineffective) Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). EPA named the first ten priority chemicals for assessment and is tasked with evaluating these chemicals to ensure there is not an unreasonable risk of injury to health.  In determining risk, EPA is required to consider vulnerable populations including: workers, infants, children, pregnant women and the elderly. WEC is highlighting the chemicals in a series of blog posts with information on how to make your voice heard and tell your story about chemical exposure. Chemical Two of Ten:  1-Bromopropane (a.k.a. n-Propyl Bromide, 1-BP) One of the most common uses of this chemical is a spray adhesive. It is used in workplaces that make foam cushions, fiber products, seat cushions, laminated products, and furniture.  Workers who are exposed to it may feel drunk, get a headache, or feel unusually nervous. Workers can also develop numbing in their hands and feet, tremors, and walking with a limp. Besides these neurological problems, this chemical is suspected to be a carcinogen and may cause reproductive disorders. 1-BP is also [...]

WEC recently helped launch Jersey Renews, a coalition of labor, community, environmental and faith based organizations pushing for stronger climate policies here in NJ. It's heartening to see Labor Education & Research Now at Rutgers University offering a course examining unions' responses to climate change. Participants in this online course will learn best practices for communicating about climate change with members and employers, and participate in discussions with other union leaders about the challenges and opportunities climate change presents. The class starts next week, so register today! There is also an upcoming conference planned for April 21 at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg, Beyond Reconciliation: The Potential for Common Ground on the Environment and Labor. Considering the magnitude of our climate crisis, the risks to New Jersey, and the likelihood of federal inaction, connecting with our labor allies to push for strong climate policy (on a state and local level) is critically important.  

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is exercising their new authority under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which amended the outdated (and ineffective) Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA). EPA named the first ten priority chemicals for assessment and is tasked with evaluating these chemicals to ensure there is not an unreasonable risk of injury to health.  In determining risk, EPA is required to consider vulnerable populations including: workers, infants, children, pregnant women and the elderly. Over the next ten days, the NJ Work Environment Council (WEC) will be highlighting the chemicals in a series of blog posts with information on how to make your voice heard and tell your story about chemical exposure.   Chemical One of Ten: Asbestos Asbestos was once called the “magic mineral” because its microscopic fibers are indestructible. Although it causes a deadly lung disease and cancer, hundreds of millions of tons of asbestos were used in construction material and consumer products in the U.S.  Workers involved in building maintenance, renovation and demolition can be exposed to asbestos, in particular in buildings constructed prior to 1980 when the chemical was used more widely. Some automotive brakes and clutches [...]

Congratulations to the first round of trainers to complete the Public Need over Corporate Greed trainer apprenticeship program! Over the course of two days, more than 30 participants discussed movement building, the economics of both social and income inequality, and the concrete steps we can take to build a more equitable economy which works for everyone, not just big banks and Wall Street firms. During the intensive program, led by Les Leopold, author of Runaway Inequality and director of The Labor Institute, activists engaged in a robust conversation on the powerful interests that keep us organizing on the defensive. One of the key takeaways: until we address the structural issues in our system, which allow so few to have so much power and influence, we will continue to nibble at the edges, to be told there “just isn’t enough money” to provide a clean, safe environment, and good jobs. We are already planning our second trainer apprenticeship sessions, which will be held March 3rd and 4th in Trenton. We need your passion, your voice, and your action, but space is limited to 20 participants. Join us; understand what is happening to our economy and learn how you can facilitate a discussion about [...]

Urge Your Representatives to Stand Up for First Responders and Public Safety Vote NO on House Joint Resolution 59 and Senate Joint Resolution 28 After the West Texas Fertilizer Explosion in 2013 that killed 15 people, including first responders, the Obama Administration focused on chemical policies. President Obama signed Executive Order 13650, Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security, to reduce risks associated with hazardous chemical incidents by enhancing the safety and security of chemical facilities; the EO also created an interagency working group including the Department of Homeland Security, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The Obama Administration spent more than three years conducting listening sessions and getting stakeholder input to strike the right balance while updating the Environmental Protection Agency’s Risk Management Program (RMP).  RMP covers 12,500 commercial and industrial facilities that use or store large amounts of toxic chemicals. The final rule was issued January 13, 2017. The amendments were modest, but important steps for preventing chemical disasters. However, with the election of a new President, we can expect changes in chemical policies. The ink is barely dry in the federal register and House Joint Resolution 59 was introduced by Representative Markwayne Mullin (R –OK-2) and [...]