In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Gov. Christie and all New Jersey residents can learn from previous disasters to prevent further damage to our lives, health and safety. Full Article by John Pajak, Vice President, Teamsters Local 877 & WEC President January 5, 2013 - The Star Ledger
In late November, while other parts of New Jersey were recovering from the superstorm, the quiet town of Paulsboro was blindsided by a very unnatural disaster. A train derailed while crossing a local bridge, sending freight cars tumbling into the water below and releasing a toxic swirl of the flammable gas known as vinyl chloride, used to make PVC plastics. In the following days, chaos ensued as residents hurriedly evacuated. See Article Here
WEC has issued critical information with links to resources on how workers and residents can avoid illnesses and injuries during hurricane cleanup and recovery activities. We urge you to prominently reprint the fact sheet in your print and online editions. The list was compiled from federal and state government sources. All links were checked for accuracy. WEC Factsheet - Hurricane Recovery: Resources for Protecting Workers & Residents See the Press Release here
The rule is hailed by businesses who say they are buried in environmental red tape. Environmentalists, however, are livid over the potential to undermine protections to New Jersey's land, water and air. See Article Here
August 1, 2012 - Governor Christie is putting corporate special interests and his big campaign contributors ahead of the public interest. He has ordered all state agencies to issue rules to waive the safeguards they are supposed to enforce. These safeguards protect our health and safety at work; our air, water, and open spaces; and our rights as consumers. Christie's political appointees will be able to let any chemical, oil, banking, insurance, drug, or development company violate our safeguards if they think it creates "an undue hardship." We need to stop this policy in its tracks by getting the State Legislature to block the first agency's waiver rule. TAKE ACTION Sign our petition to stop Governor Christie from waiving our safeguards! Volunteer with NJ WEC to get more people to sign the petition or start your own petition drive by downloading the petition and flyer.
Coalition asks Legislature to stop Governor Christie's Pay-to-Play Policies A coalition of labor and environmental organizations held a mock auction of environmental waivers today in front of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to demonstrate how Governor Christie is selling New Jersey's health and environment to benefit big corporations and developers. The coalition is calling on the State Legislature to override the rule through legislative action. DEP will begin accepting applications for regulatory waivers today. "Governor Christie is auctioning off our health and environment to highest bidder," said Denise Patel, Project Coordinator for the NJ Work Environment Council, a labor-environment coalition. "Big corporations and wealthy campaign contributors will benefit, and the rest of us will lose out. The waiver rule creates an unprecedented concentration of power in the executive branch. The DEP Commissioner, a political appointee, will be able to write off our communities with a stroke of a pen in favor of developers and polluters. We are calling on the State Legislature to stand up for New Jersey's workers and communities." Watch the video here View pictures from the event here See the Press Release here
How safe should we be from highly dangerous chemicals such as those released into New Jersey's air by the recent fire at Dow Chemical's plant in Bristol, Pa? Gov. Chris Christie and his corporate backers have one answer. The rest of us, whose health may be threatened by chemical hazards, have another. Full Article by Cecelia Leto, Program Coordinator WEC May 23, 2012 - Times of Trenton
Let's say you or someone you know works in or owns a small or medium-size business. You know that if that business complies with public safeguards that protect employees, customers, the surrounding community and the environment, it won't have to worry about unfair competition. After all, every business has to follow those safeguards. There is a fair, level playing field because the rules are established by law and apply to everyone. But now, Gov. Chris Christie has issued an executive order that drastically tilts that playing field in favor of a few wealthy, politically connected corporations and jeopardizes jobs for the rest of us. Full Article by Joyce Sagi, member of the Executive Board of the Union of Rutgers Administrators (AFT Local 1766) and WEC Board of Directors April 6, 2012 - Asbury Park Press
Most New Jersey residents take it for granted that "someone" is protecting our health from toxic chemicals in our drinking water or the air we breathe. Or from unsafe pesticides or radiation. Or from preventable disasters like the BP Gulf Coast oil spill or the recent nuclear meltdown in Japan. Unless New Jersey communities speak up, however, that "someone" will no longer be providing those vital safeguards. Full Article by Debra Coyle McFadden, Assistant Director, WEC March 31, 2012 - Courier Post (of Camden)
The New Jersey Work Environment Council (WEC), which includes major labor unions, as well as community, and environmental allies, announced today at a Trenton press conference that it was joining a lawsuit against the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's new "waiver rule". WEC issued this statement: "Gov. Christie's administration is going one agency at a time to roll out new rules allowing corporations to violate state laws. These new rules will jeopardize safeguards that protect all of us - at work, at home, and in our community. See the Press Release here