June WEConnect 2026

Today in Trenton the public sector workers are gathering to rally to fight for what is a basic human right – healthcare. Healthcare costs in New Jersey (and around the country) continue to rise, placing increasing financial pressure on families, employers, and public programs. At the same time, many major health insurance and pharmaceutical companies have reported substantial profits in recent years, prompting concerns about affordability and the impact of rising healthcare expenses on consumers. This is a classic example of unchecked corporate greed. Whether the issue is healthcare, housing, education, or workers’ rights, unchecked corporate greed remains a common obstacle to achieving social and economic justice.

Only through action and staying united can we impact change. Whether it’s through rallies, social media posts, or choosing to spend our hard-earned money with companies that align with our values, every action matters. We must break out of our silos, stand together, and support each other’s causes.

The challenges we face are deeply connected. When one group is under attack, all of us are affected. Real progress happens when we recognize our shared interests and work collectively to build a stronger, more equitable future for everyone.

That’s what WEC stands for. We are strongest when we show up for one another, amplify each other’s voices, and fight together for the values we share. Unity is more than a word. It is our strategy for creating lasting change. By standing together, supporting one another, and taking action, we can build the power needed to hold decision-makers accountable and create a future that works for working people and our communities.

But change will not happen on its own. The forces working against working families are organized, well-funded, and counting on us to remain divided. We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. Now is the time to grow our movement, strengthen our collective voice, and build the power needed to win.

If you believe in this work, WEC needs your support today! Become a member or make a donation. Every new organizational and individual member strengthens our ability to advocate, organize, and fight for the issues that matter most to our communities. Together, we can meet this moment, but only if we stand united and act with urgency. Join us today and be part of the movement for change.

I’ll conclude here so I can join the rally and stand in solidarity with those taking action today.

In Solidarity,

Debra Coyle

On May 7, Governor Mikie Sherrill signed S1370/A1514 into law, requiring all new flooring installed in schools, community centers, and childcare centers to be certified mercury-free. This important legislation marks a major step forward in protecting children, educators, and communities from exposure to hazardous mercury vapor.

Beginning in the 1960s, some manufacturers produced synthetic polyurethane flooring using mercury-based catalysts such as phenylmercuric acetate (PMA). These seamless rubber-like floors were widely installed in school gymnasiums and other facilities across the United States, including in New Jersey. Some mercury-containing floors may have been manufactured as late as 2005 and installed as recently as 2006.

As these floors age and deteriorate, they can release odorless and colorless mercury vapor into indoor air. Because mercury vapor is invisible and difficult to detect without proper testing, exposure can occur unknowingly. Mercury exposure poses significant health risks, particularly for children and developing fetuses.

This legislative achievement follows years of dedicated advocacy by the New Jersey Work Environment Council, New Jersey Education Association, and Healthy Schools Now, which worked tirelessly to raise awareness, push for identification and remediation of mercury-containing floors, and advocate for a permanent ban on the installation of flooring containing PMA.

For more information on mercury floors, see our factsheet.

In February, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed its so-called Common Sense Approach to Chemical Accident Prevention rule to roll back the 2024 Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Protection rule before employers even had to comply with it by next May.

EPA’s action, in fact, reflects virtually no common sense and poses a threat to workers, contractor employees, firefighters, police officers and other emergency responders, and community residents, as well as industrial infrastructure.

In May, 12 labor and allied organizations submitted extensive joint comments opposing EPA’s action and proposing improvements to the Risk Management rule. The New Jersey Work Environment Council thanks these organizations for submitting comments with us:

• American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
• Communications Workers of America (CWA)
• International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)
• International Chemical Workers Union Council (ICWUC)
• United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW)
• United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)
• Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA)
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
• National Education Association (NEA)
• American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL- CIO)
• National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH)

To read our 43 pages of comments here.

Provisions of the New Jersey rail safety bill that was signed by Governor Murphy in the final days of his administration are now under consideration in Congress and have passed a house committee as part of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act, including requirements for two-person train crews, enhanced safety standards for trains carrying certain hazardous materials, more rigorous inspection protocols, and stricter regulations governing the use of wayside defect detectors. This is a real opportunity to create safer railways nationwide because in addition to bi-partisan support in congress, we are hearing these commonsense regulations also have support in the White House. Specifically, Vice President JD Vance has championed for stricter federal rail safety regulations following the 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which makes this a unique opportunity to enact real, meaningful safety improvements during this congressional session.

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) will continue operating in FY2026 after Congress rejected a proposal to eliminate the agency. In February, Congress provided roughly $14 million in funding. While this preserves the CSB’s critical role investigating chemical incidents and protecting workers and communities, its long-term future is uncertain. It has been a target for elimination by the Trump Administration before. CSB funding has remained essentially flat over the past five years, hovering around $13–14 million annually, with only modest increases and recent slight declines.

To put the critical work of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board in context, more than half of the U.S. population—177 million people—live within the potential worst-case scenario zone of a chemical disaster. One in three children attends school within a vulnerability zone of one or more hazardous chemical facilities. Since its inception in 1998, the CSB has investigated incidents resulting in over 200 deaths, 1,200 injuries, and widespread property and environmental damage.

WEC strongly supports increased funding for the CSB to ensure it has the capacity to conduct thorough investigations and help prevent future disasters. A fully funded CSB is essential to protecting workers, communities, and public health.

On May 30th, HSN held our annual conference with 30+ people in attendance. Thank you to Tina Dare for giving the keynote address. The morning panel addressed current school conditions and the need for more school construction funding and was moderated by Kaleena Berryman, Co-Facilitator, Our Children, Our Schools. The afternoon kicked off with a fireside chat with Brandon McKoy, President, Fund for NJ and Theresa Luhm, Esq., Attorney and Managing Director, NJ Education Law Center and was moderated by Debra Coyle. WEC staff will be meeting with Mike Rollins to discuss the 2027 HSN conference over the summer. We look to build upon this conference in the future.

On June 2nd, New Jersey joined 6 other states in filing a lawsuit against the federal government for the buyout and cancellation of Attentive Energy’s offshore wind lease area. The lease was secured in 2022 by Attentive’s parent company Total Energies for $795 million, which the settlement would pay back to the company in exchange for a commitment to invest the roughly the same amount in energy infrastructure in other states and a commitment to not develop offshore wind in the United States. According to the press release announcing the lawsuit, the New Jersey Attorney General and the other state argue that “this settlement agreement violates several federal laws, including those governing offshore wind leases and federal settlement payouts, and are asking the court to vacate the agreement and restore the leases.”

The Trump Administration has tried using every tool in their toolbox to prevent offshore wind from being developed even as multiple states in our region face an energy supply crisis that is driving up the cost of electricity. Offshore wind is projected to provide tens of thousands of MWs worth of supply to our region, but actions from the federal government have stalled almost all projects, as well as the economic development and good paying jobs that come with it. The action from the state is one step towards getting the offshore wind industry active again and bringing the promised benefits of increased clean energy supply to our grid for ratepayers, job growth, and emissions reductions.

Read the press release here.

Governor Sherrill has nominated Ben Hertz-Shargel to be a commissioner for the Board of Public Utilities, and, upon his confirmation, plans to name him President of the Board. He is being appointed to replace Zenon Christodoulou whose term is expired, and will replace current President Christine Guhl-Sadovy, who will remain on the Board as a commissioner, in her role. The full Senate is expected to confirm the nomination prior to the end of June with the Senate Judiciary Committee advancing the nomination on June 18th.

Hertz-Shargel currently serves as Global Head of Grid Edge at Wood Mackenzie, where he advises energy, technology, and financial firms on grid modernization, electrification, distributed energy resources, and emerging energy technologies. Previously, Hertz-Shargel served as Head of Data Science and Demand Management at Rhythm and as Vice President of Advanced Grid Services and Analytics at EnergyHub, where he designed and built core demand response optimization technology and served as a lead technical expert in stakeholder engagement before state public utility commissions.

Read the full announcement here.

Preventable chemical disasters have again propelled media coverage. National coverage featuring WEC representatives includes:

• New York Times, May 14, 2026: Federal Chemical Safety Board Sends Warning on Trump Disaster Policy
• NPR Weekend Edition, May 31, 2026: Amid a slew of chemical accidents, the agency that investigates them is under threat
• Ralph Nader Radio Hour, June 13, 2026