2019 - Page 3 of 3 - Work Environment Council

Statement from WEC on BPU Announcement on Offshore Wind

Bravo New Jersey for leading the nation in offshore wind development. Today the Board of Public Utilities announced the winner of the country's largest offshore wind project. Orsted will be building the 1,100MW project, called OceanWind, which will bring clean energy to approximately 500,000 homes. Thank you to Governor Murphy for his vision and commitment to clean energy. Offshore wind development has obvious clean energy benefits and also promises to bring good, family-sustaining jobs to the state. These are skilled, well-paying jobs include construction, maintenance, operations, ports, and supply chain, more than 74 occupations in total, that cannot be outsourced. With this announcement today, and an aggressive solicitation schedule for the next 2,400 MW, New Jersey is well positioned to become a regional offshore wind clean energy and economic powerhouse.

By Debra Coyle|2019-07-02T09:45:20-04:00June 21st, 2019|Highlights, WEC in the News|Comments Off

WEC Statement on Alden Leeds Fire

The threat of a catastrophic chemical release remains a major vulnerability for New Jersey. Every year, chemical releases, fires, and explosions claim lives and threaten residents’ health across the nation. New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the country, nestled between New York City and Philadelphia, and has one of the highest ratios of toxic facilities per square mile in the nation. Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities have been reported from the chlorine fire at the Alden Leeds facility in South Kearny. Alden leads manufactures pool chemicals including chlorine tablets. The Pulaski Skyway was shut down in both directions and residents as far away as Staten Island were alerted to stay inside. The core of WEC's work is to advocate for stronger state and national chemical security policies such as switching to safer alternatives and implementing inherently safer technologies as a way to eliminate or reduce the hazard from toxic chemicals.

By Debra Coyle|2019-07-02T09:45:45-04:00May 18th, 2019|Highlights, WEC in the News|Comments Off

2019 Workers’ Memorial Day March & Rally: Not One More Death

Press Release: Sunday, April 28, 2019 Contact Lou Kimmel, 732.762.7687, [email protected] Cecelia Leto, 609.532.1782, [email protected] 2019 Workers' Memorial Day March & Rally: Not One More Death New Brunswick, NJ – Around 300 people gathered at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple on Sunday, April 28 to celebrate Workers’ Memorial Day, an annual day of action to remember those who have died or been injured on the job, and raise awareness to prevent future illnesses, injuries, and deaths. This year, the theme of the rally was “Not One More Death”. Participants renewed their commitment to fight for safe Jobs for all, cognizant of the rash of gun violence in our schools and sacred spaces, as well as the very real impact climate change is already having on workers and communities. The event, organized by New Labor, the New Jersey Work Environment Council, and other partners in the Jersey Renews coalition, brought together a diverse group of workers, immigrants, environmentalists, educators, and health professionals to march and rally for worker and climate justice. In 2018, 28 workers died at work in New Jersey. Example of preventable deaths include: falling from a steel structure, crushed by equipment, crushed by between vehicles, exposed to carbon monoxide [...]

By Debra Coyle|2019-05-13T16:32:57-04:00April 29th, 2019|Highlights, Press Releases|Comments Off

Companies that Accept Tax Subsidies Must Create Good, Safe Jobs, Worker Advocates Say

These days, New Jersey plays a major role in the multi-billion dollar e-commerce economy. The workers who make this economy possible deserve a fair shake. E-commerce warehouses that support online retailers, national chain stores, and top apparel brands are expanding in New Jersey because of our large ports, our highway system, and our proximity to millions of customers in the New York City metro area. As the governor looks to reform our state subsidy programs, New Jersey should attach enforceable labor standards to the incentives that warehouse operators, e-commerce companies, and logistics firms receive for doing business here in New Jersey. Read the full opinion-editorial on nj.com from the Star-Ledger by By Alberto Arroyo, international vice president of Workers United and Debra Coyle McFadden, executive director, NJ Work Environment Council.

By Debra Coyle|2019-05-13T14:01:37-04:00April 3rd, 2019|Highlights, Opinion Pieces|Comments Off

WEC Statement on Governor Murphy’s Budget Address

Today the Governor unveiled an exciting new budget, promising increased investment in our schools, our transportation, our infrastructure, and our middle class, as well as revealing a whopping $3.8b pension fund contribution. In the interest of accomplishing our goals at WEC we see these resources to be some of our states most vital. However, it is impossible for us to truly achieve these goals without tax fairness. By introducing a tax plan which supports the middle class and taxes millionaires, the governor’s office has demonstrated that it is serious about generating the revenue to achieve exciting, bold reforms which benefit workers and New Jersey’s communities.

By Debra Coyle|2019-03-05T16:00:22-05:00March 5th, 2019|Highlights, Uncategorized|Comments Off

PEOSH – NJADP – Nurses – CEFM – Health Officials April, 2019 – Indoor Air Quality Training

PEOSH has arranged to provide assistance to public employers in meeting the Designated Persons Training requirements contained in the PEOSH Indoor Air Quality Standard by scheduling the following training sessions. Staff from the PEOSH program will be available to address any questions about changes in the IAQ Standard. This program will address the roles of the school nurse and the Indoor Air Quality Team in IAQ programs. Participants will receive 4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). School nurses register by filling out this form, emailing it, and then registering on-line through NJLMN to get their 4 CEUs.Facilities Managers register by filling out this form and emailing it. Facilities Managers with CEFM certification should note that the 4 CEUs will help them to fulfill the NJDOE requirement that 20 CEUs must be earned within a three-year period to maintain certification. Saturday Session Dates:* April 6, 9am - 1pm: Burlington Fire Academy, 53 Academy Drive Westampton, NJ 08060* April 13, 9am - 1pm: Camden County Vo-Tech, 340 Berlin Cross Keys Road, Sicklerville, NJ 08081* April 27, 9am -1pm: Bergen County Fire & Law Academy, 281 Campgaw Road, Mahwah, NJ 07430 The session is FREE, but pre-registration is required. Register Here! WEC is a proud [...]

By Debra Coyle|2019-02-22T14:53:39-05:00February 22nd, 2019|Highlights, Uncategorized|Comments Off

NJ Needs to Cough Up the Cash to Fix Its Schools so Our Kids Won’t Get Sick

When you think of the word “school” what comes to mind? Overcrowding? Leaking roofs, mold and mercury exposure? Extreme temperatures, windows that don’t open? Inadequate air quality from poor ventilation? How about asbestos, lead in drinking water, or rodent infestations? Unfortunately, for many students and staff in New Jersey, these issues are a daily reality. As a result, there is increased absenteeism, illness, and poor morale. The good news is that New Jersey already has a framework in place to fix these problems. The bad news is that the SDA is out of money. It has not received any new funding since 2008, and all prior funding has been used or is already allocated. This means that there are zero funds available for any new major capital projects in SDA or ROD districts despite the tremendous need that remains. Read the full opinion-editorial by Heather Sorge, WEC campaign organizer for Healthy Schools Now and Rosie Grant, executive director of Paterson Education Fund.

By Debra Coyle|2019-05-13T15:02:59-04:00February 13th, 2019|Highlights, Opinion Pieces|Comments Off

Invest in Environment and Infrastructure, Not Corporate Welfare

It has been more than a year since the Christie administration ended, but it turns out it left one last surprise for New Jersey’s workers and taxpayers, according to an audit released by the New Jersey State Comptroller last month. The report suggests that, under former Gov. Chris Christie, the Economic Development Authority (EDA) gave away billions of dollars in tax credits to some of the most profitable corporations in the world through an $11-billion dollar series of tax-subsidy programs. The comptroller’s report, however, found a severe lack of oversight. Corporations were, in most situations, allowed to self-report, and often manipulated or obscured details in order to inflate their contributions to our economy: “In 24 of the 37 sampled projects, about 65%, we found close to 3,000 recipient-reported jobs that were not substantiated as having been created or retained.” It is estimated that one in five jobs were not substantiated. Read the full opinion-editorial by Brandon Castro, WEC campaign organizer for Runaway Inequality.

By Debra Coyle|2019-05-13T14:11:52-04:00February 1st, 2019|Highlights, Opinion Pieces|Comments Off

New Jersey Raises Minimum to $15

Thanks to the work of WEC and many allies in the Fight for $15 coalition, New Jersey is now the fourth state in the nation to have a $15 minimum wage by 2024. We want to thank Governor Phil Murphy, Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin for improving the lives of one million low-wage workers in New Jersey. For decades the real wages of lower-income workers in the United States have been stagnant. The result has been the high social cost of food insecurity, poverty, and difficulty in access to healthcare. This bold step from New Jersey policy makers is an affirmation that a living wage is an indispensable part of creating healthy, sustainable communities in the Garden State. While we are disappointed that farmworkers and tipped workers are not guaranteed this crucial right, and that small business employees and seasonal workers must wait longer to achieve a living wage, we are glad that due to the advocacy of teen workers and the Fight for $15 coalition, workers under 18 will not be left behind from receiving a living wage. WEC is proud of the educational work we put in on this topic, and proud to have stood [...]

By Debra Coyle|2020-08-12T15:04:42-04:00January 18th, 2019|Highlights|Comments Off

WEC Statement on Comptroller Audit of the Economic Development Authority

January 9, 2018A report released earlier today by the state comptroller confirms what the NJ Work Environment Council (WEC) and our partners have been educating on and advocating around for decades: that our economy in the United States, and in New Jersey, is rigged to benefit the ultra-rich. The report, which detailed a vast failure of oversight and implementation in the state Economic Development Authority's (EDA) tax incentive program, found that the EDA could not identify if the $11 billion of incentives given out since 2005, which went to highly profitable corporations, generated any economic benefit to the state. That's $11 billion which could have gone to building New Jersey's communities. But New Jersey's economic system, our tax code, and our policies are very often not written for us. They are written to dish out corporate welfare, so that wealthy executives can line their pockets while destroying jobs, failing to stimulate or contribute meaningfully to our economy, and polluting our environment. Workers and taxpayers have felt this at every turn- as our state government bends over backwards to please corporations and moneyed interests, in hopes that they will somehow save our economy, our wages remain stagnate, our working conditions fail to [...]

By Debra Coyle|2019-01-09T16:45:38-05:00January 9th, 2019|Highlights, Press Releases|Comments Off

Yearly Archives: 2019