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 were more than 71 participants on this webinar.

Important resources shared by presenters and/or in the chat: 

Governor Murphy Extends Workers Compensation to Essential Workers Diagnosed with Covid: https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/09/murphy-signs-bill-extending-workers-comp-to-essential-workers-who-got-coronavirus.html

Op-Ed “Who Needs Unions? We All Do.” https://www.nj.com/opinion/2020/09/who-needs-unions-anyway-we-all-do-opinion.html?fbclid=IwAR0mWLItcMMfTmlrbmuSIVGWfgyPohKdR_lkJQiiVn-kXQDGtprjGeVn-70

To learn more about the NJ Protect Workers Coalition you can email Rosanna Rodriguez: [email protected]

Unionized Nursing Homes have Lower Mortality Rates: https://skillednursingnews.com/2020/09/unionized-nursing-homes-saw-lower-covid-19-mortality-rates-better-ppe-access-study/

National COSH H&S Conference – First 2 weeks of December Tues-Thurs watch for details www.coshnetwork.org

Rutgers LEARN Employment Law Class Staring Oct. 6: https://smlr.rutgers.edu/content/current-ula-course-offerings