Monthly Archives: September 2020

This week's webinar focused on the fundamentals of building ventilation, including important steps that can be taken in your workplace to reduce COVID-19 transmission. We were joined by David M. Newman, M.A., M.S. EOHS Associates LLC Environmental & Occupational Health & Safety Industrial Hygiene and a consultant to WEC.  Dave stressed that while it is impossible to make buildings “safe” during the COVID crisis, we can reduce the risk of contracting the virus by utilizing a number of “tools” such as proper physical distancing, masking, PPE, cleaning and disinfecting, contact tracing, and adequate ventilation. There were more than 127 participants on this webinar. Here is Dave's slide presentation.

This summer, we’ve seen an unprecedented season of storms that has already barrelled through the full alphabet. We’ve also had to deal with these disasters in the midst of another, prolonged crisis -- the COVID-19 pandemic. Two experts joined us today to advise on what climate impacts New Jersey is experiencing and should anticipate, as well as to offer tips on how we can prepare our families and communities for extreme weather events while staying as safe as possible from COVID. There were more than 60 participants on this webinar. Dr. Anthony Broccoli, Co-Director of the Rutgers Climate Institute, offered an overview of the main weather changes triggered by climate change and which of these trends New Jersey should prepare for. Dr. Broccoli highlighted increased and more frequent flooding as a particular risk for our state, as well as extreme heat and cold, heavy rain and dry spells (which can quickly impact the state’s water supply), and potentially, more frequent tornadoes. More research is needed on the effects of climate change on hurricanes, which are becoming more severe, but not necessarily projected to increase in frequency for NJ. Click here for powerpoint presentation. This context helped to frame Keith Adams’ presentation on [...]

This week we were joined by: Peter Dooley (MS, CIH, CSP) Safety and Health Senior Project Coordinator for National COSH and President of LaborSafe, who spoke about the importance of health and safety organizing, and its connection to broader public health issues, in building worker power. He went on to discuss national COSH’s historical work around these issues through community RIght to Know campaigns around the country. George T. DeFerdinando, Jr., MD, MPH, FACP, Chair of the Princeton NJ Board of Health and on the Executive Committee of the New Jersey Local Boards of Health Association, who spoke about some of the challenges workers face in regards to COVID19 and air quality, and the importance of enforcement in regards to state action, and Rosanna Rodriguez, (Dominican, Latina, Female) Laundry Workers Center (LWC) founder, organizer, and key developer in LWC’s workplace justice and policy programs, training institute, and women’s leadership committee, who spoke about the LWC’s efforts to organize workers in the face of the COVID19 crisis. All three presenters emphasized the importance of worker organizing and power, and issues of health and safety, in light of the COVID19 crisis, as a key area of solidarity among workers from different political backgrounds. There [...]

This week we held a Labor Day discussion about the role of union and worker voices in ensuring workplace safety. We were joined by acclaimed labor activist Elise Bryant, Executive Director of the Labor Heritage Foundation and President of the Coalition of Labor Union Women. Elise shared that one in three jobs categorized as essential are held by women. She spoke about how women have held multiple rolls during the pandemic and shared that Black and Latina women have suffered the largest job loss and biggest pay gap. Sadly, domestic abuse has also skyrocketed during this time as well. Ms. Bryant stated that this is the time for the women’s communities to come alive, engage and to organize. Many resources can be found at the Coalition of Labor Union Women website. Elise shared with us, “this is a time where people are recognizing that we are stronger collectively than we are individually”. Please visit the links that Elyse shared during the webinar: Coalition of Labor Union Women and Labor Heritage Foundation. We were also joined by Columbia University economist Suresh Naidu, co-author of the report Co-Author of Understanding the COVID-19 Workplace: Evidence From a Survey of Essential Workers which looked at a national sample of essential workers in order to paint a clearer picture of how workers in frontline occupations [...]