WEC Staff, Author at Work Environment Council

Intern with WEC

Few places bring the labor and environmental movements to the same table. WEC is one of them. The New Jersey Work Environment Council is an alliance of 70 labor, environmental, and community organizations working for safe, secure jobs and a healthy, sustainable environment. Our core mission is that the interests of workers and the interests of the environment are not opposed. The same chemicals that threaten a river threaten the people working beside it, and the fight for clean air and the fight for a safe workplace are the same fight. For four decades, WEC has done the difficult work of building trust across movements that are too often pitted against each other. Interning with WEC means learning coalition organizing from the inside. You'll work directly with our labor, environmental, and community partners, and there will be opportunities to assist with research, training programs, and actions, along with some administrative support. Details • Duration: 10–12 weeks • Hours: 12–15 hrs/week, flexible around class schedule • Location: hybrid; office located in Trenton, NJ • Compensation: Unpaid, travel stipend available To apply: Email your resume and statement of interest to apply@njwec.org with the subject line: Intern application. WEC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

By WEC Staff|2026-08-19T11:12:07-04:00August 10th, 2026|Job Postings|Comments Off

WEC Seeks Industrial Hygiene or Health and Safety Consultant

The New Jersey Work Environment Council (WEC) is a coalition of 70 labor, community, and environmental organizations advocating for safe, secure jobs and a healthy, sustainable environment. WEC seeks an industrial hygiene (IH) or health and safety consultant to provide technical assistance on an as needed basis to WEC members. The primary function of this position will be to identify and resolve environmental health and safety concerns, and to encourage all affected parties to work together in creating a safe and healthy workplace. Responsibilities: The consultant will have these responsibilities: • Providing technical assistance with emphasis on organizing. • Presenting workshops on topics such as using health and safety organizing. • Interpreting IH reports into terms for a popular audience. (No IH sampling involved.) • Attending and occasionally speaking at meetings and workshops of unions, community, and environmental organizations. • On occasion, providing training to workers, parents and community stakeholders. • Developing or edit materials including but not limited to fact sheets. Qualifications: • 3+ years of experience in environmental or occupational safety consulting or related field. • Experience with OSHA/EPA Regulations and NJDOL/NJDEP Regulations • Excellent written and verbal communication skills • A valid driver’s license and car access are [...]

By WEC Staff|2026-08-19T11:10:44-04:00July 1st, 2026|Highlights, Job Postings|Comments Off

June WEConnect 2026
Gallery
June WEConnect 2026

WEConnect Newsletter

June WEConnect 2026

Donate Now Executive Director's Message 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 [...]

By WEC Staff|2026-06-23T10:55:56-04:00June 20th, 2026|WEConnect Newsletter|Comments Off

Heat stress affects students AND staff — What to do?

Heat stress affects students AND staff By Dorothy Wigmore a long-time health and safety specialist and WEC consultant. She has worked in Canada, the U.S. and Mozambique, focusing on prevention and worker participation to fix job-related hazards. It’s hard to ignore the heat-related warnings about the climate emergency in New Jersey: The 2025 New Jersey Scientific Report on Climate Change said the state “continues to warm faster than the rest of the Northeast region and the world.” In 2025, a 30-year analysis found that higher temperatures increase the odds of heat waves in the state, and they’re likely to get more frequent and intense, with less daily cooling. The state’s Extreme Heat Resilience Action Plan includes protecting workers. Read the full article in the NJEA Review here. Below are additional resources that are not in the Review article. Resources California Department of Public Health, CDPH health guidance for schools on sports and strenuous activities during extreme heat: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/EPO/Pages/Extreme%20Heat%20Pages/extreme-heat-guidance-for-schools.aspx Center for Climate Integrity, Hotter days, higher costs. Crisis in America’s classrooms: https://coolingcrisis.org/ National Education Association, “It’s getting hot in here: Without air conditioning, students and staff suffer”: https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/its-getting-hot-here-without-air-conditioning-students-and-staff-suffer New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Air source heat pumps: https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/air-source-heat-pumps New Jersey Education Association (2021), “Tackle harmful heat with ventilation [...]

By WEC Staff|2026-08-17T12:42:52-04:00April 23rd, 2026|Fact Sheets, Highlights|Comments Off

April WEConnect 2026
Gallery
April WEConnect 2026

WEConnect Newsletter

April WEConnect 2026

Donate Now Executive Director's Message It’s hard to believe it’s already April — it feels like we were just ringing in the new year. The year has already brought major change to New Jersey, with Governor Mikie Sherrill making energy affordability a top priority. Her administration is expanding our solar goals and has announced a new task force on nuclear energy. As energy bills rise, at home and at the pump, we’re all feeling the strain. Now is not the time to pull back from renewable energy. It’s the time to double down and lay the groundwork for a renewable energy future. Below, you’ll find highlights of our recent work: pushing back against dangerous rollbacks that would put workers and communities at risk of chemical disasters, standing with allies to protect funding for the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, and partnering with the Healthy Schools Now coalition to secure funding for public school construction and ensure our schools are free from mercury hazards. I also want to take a moment to thank you for being part of WEC. These are challenging times. As corporate greed rises, environmental protections are threatened, and workers’ rights face ongoing attacks, our collective voice matters [...]

By WEC Staff|2026-07-09T13:18:03-04:00April 13th, 2026|WEConnect Newsletter|Comments Off

NJEA Review
Gallery
NJEA Review

Fact Sheets

NJEA Review

New Jersey Public Schools and Asbestos By Dorothy Wigmore a long-time health and safety specialist and WEC consultant. She has worked in Canada, the U.S. and Mozambique, focusing on prevention and worker participation to fix job-related hazards. New Jersey has many old school buildings. When districts decide to renovate or upgrade them, it’s time for NJEA members to ask about asbestos hazards. That’s a lesson the Wayne Education Association (WEA) learned once renovations started on the oldest of 15 buildings in the district, the Preakness Early Childhood Center. Read the full article from the NJEA Review here. Below is a list of additional resources not included in the original article. New Jersey Department of Health Asbestos: https://www.nj.gov/health/ceohs/asbestos/ Hazard Communication Standard: https://www.nj.gov/health/workplacehealthandsafety/peosh/peosh-health-standards/hazcom.shtml Indoor air quality standard: https://www.nj.gov/health/workplacehealthandsafety/peosh/peosh-health-standards/iaq.shtml; Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illness Standard: https://www.nj.gov/health/workplacehealthandsafety/peosh/peosh-health-standards/record.shtml Right to know: https://www.nj.gov/health/workplacehealthandsafety/right-to-know/ New Jersey Education Association, Health and safety publications: https://www.njea.org/health-safety-publications/ New Jersey Government Records Council, OPRA (Open Public Records Act) for the public: https://www.nj.gov/grc/public/ New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development, Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health Act (and standards): https://www.nj.gov/labor/safetyandhealth/resources-support/laws-regulations/peoshact.shtml

By WEC Staff|2026-07-09T13:28:10-04:00March 5th, 2026|Fact Sheets|Comments Off

Ørsted announces heavy losses that could jeopardize timing of NJ wind farm project

©Chris Laurens, ElsamAn aerial view of the Kentish Flats windfarm viewed show the wind turbine generators. Story by Amanda Oglesby Asbury Park Press, September 1, 2023 - A Denmark company building New Jersey's first offshore wind turbine project announced this week billions of dollars in losses in its American division due to supply shortages and high interest rates. Wind turbine company Ørsted plans start onshore construction for Ocean Wind 1 — an 11,000-megawatt wind turbine project to be located about 15 miles offshore — this fall. However, supply chain instability and high interest rates are being blamed for pushing the project completion date back to 2026, according to NJ Spotlight News. Twelve environmental and advocacy organizations — including the New Jersey Sierra Club, Environment New Jersey, NJ Work Environment Council and Jersey Renews — urged continued support for the state's burgeoning offshore wind market despite Ørsted's announcement. Read the entire Press Release here.

By WEC Staff|2023-09-06T16:52:01-04:00September 6th, 2023|WEC in the News|Comments Off

Booker, Barragán Lead 47 Congressional Colleagues in Urging EPA to Further Strengthen Prevention and Safety Standards to Prevent Chemical Disasters

Booker, Barragán Lead 47 Congressional Colleagues in Urging EPA to Further Strengthen Prevention and Safety Standards to Prevent Chemical Disasters WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and U.S. Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA-44th) urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to strengthen its proposed Risk Management Program (RMP) Rule to ensure the strongest possible safeguards at high-risk chemical facilities and protections for workers, environmental justice communities, and first responders. 47 other Senators and members of the House of Representatives co-signed the letter. EPA’s RMP regulates close to 12,000 facilities that make, use, or store hazardous chemicals, and recent chemical disasters have highlighted shortcomings in the existing RMP regulations that fail to sufficiently protect workers and communities living near hazardous chemical facilities. Today’s letter is a follow-up to Senator Booker and Representative Barragán’s April 2022 letter, which urged the EPA to propose an updated RMP rule with robust prevention and safety standards to prevent chemical disasters. EPA released the proposed rule in August 2022, which makes significant and needed updates, but the proposed rule can be further strengthened to ensure stronger safeguards. The letter is supported by BlueGreen Alliance, United Steelworkers, United Auto Workers, New Jersey Work Environment Council, Earthjustice, Sierra Club, Union of Concerned [...]

By WEC Staff|2023-02-06T11:15:08-05:00January 25th, 2023|Press Releases, WEC in the News|Comments Off

NJ Needs To Keep Its ‘Corporate Millionaire’s Tax,’ Activists Urge

The wealthiest 2 percent of businesses should be paying more when New Jerseyans are struggling – not getting a tax cut, advocates say. On Friday, members of the For The Many New Jersey coalition sent a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy and other officials, urging them to renew the state's corporate business tax surcharge. NEW JERSEY — Preschool for 37,000 kids. Nearly 5,000 affordable housing units. An estimated 1,500 electric school buses. Doubling the state’s college tuition assistance. These are some of the things that New Jersey could pay for if it extends a “corporate millionaire’s tax” for some of its largest businesses, advocates say. On Friday, members of the For The Many New Jersey coalition sent a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy, Senate President Nicholas Scutari, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and members of the Senate and Assembly Budget Committees. Their demand? Keep the juice running on the state’s corporate business tax surcharge. ... The letter, which can be seen here, was signed by 28 organizations and labor unions, including: ACLU of New Jersey, 32BJ SEIU, BlueWaveNJ, Clean Water Action, CWA District 1, Environment New Jersey, Healthy Schools Now NJ, Housing and Community Development Network of NJ, Jersey Renews Coalition, Latino Action [...]

By WEC Staff|2023-02-06T11:08:04-05:00January 23rd, 2023|WEC in the News|Comments Off

NJ Advocates Celebrate IIJA Anniversary, Call on Murphy Administration to Create Strategic Federal Climate Plan for Healthier State

November 17, 2022 State Commitment Urgent to Make Historic Federal Investments Count for New Jerseyans On the first anniversary of the federal Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) being signed into law, New Jersey is still without a strategic plan to maximize historic federal climate investments despite a patchwork of projects across the state. A broad coalition of groups representing New Jersey’s environmental, business, planning, social justice, conservation, labor, and climate advocacy communities are urging the Murphy administration to do more – faster – to address the state’s unmet sustainability needs. “A patchwork of projects, no matter how important each is, doesn’t equate to a clear roadmap for how New Jersey will transform itself into a national sustainability leader,” said Renae Reynolds, Executive Director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “It’s time for our government to wake up and invest funding where its publicly stated goals aspire to see multigenerational improvements.” “This funding represents a generational opportunity,” said Nikki Baker, Healthy Schools Now Organizer, NJ Work Environment Council. “Public engagement must underpin New Jersey’s investment strategy so residents in overburdened areas can empower change for their children and their neighborhoods for years to come.” Read the entire Press Release

By WEC Staff|2022-12-02T10:35:42-05:00November 17th, 2022|Press Releases, WEC in the News|Comments Off