Highlights

It’s no secret that many of the international trade deals made by the United States have hurt workers both here and abroad. Several political leaders have targeted deals like NAFTA, and identified them as the source of many labor issues, including diminished safety and environmental regulations, and a horrific race to the bottom for wages. There is more to this story, however, and trade deals which enable international mobility for corporations are only a symptom of a much more sinister problem. In an article originally published on the Huffington Post, Les Leopold, author of Runaway Inequality, investigated the root cause of declining wages, lax labor regulations and fleeing jobs. After an SEC rule change in 1982, hedge fund and private equity investors were incentivized to siphon as much wealth from companies they invest in as possible, so that they could then buy back its stock. This artificially inflates the value of shares and gives hedge managers and private equity managers an instant windfall. “In 1970, before stock buybacks became the norm, the pay gap between the top CEOs and the average worker was $45 to $1. Today it is an incomprehensible $844 to $1. So there’s a co-dependency between [...]

The election results on November 9th symbolized a terrible victory for the worst part of ourselves, and the worst parts of our national identity. Those results, which many of us witnessed with increasing despair in the early morning hours, will have immediate, ugly, concrete ramifications for all of us, for our culture, and for our economy. The results will force us to reassess how to protect the progress every single person who is concerned about labor rights, women’s rights, and immigrant rights, has fought for in recent history. This we know, and we should keep talking about it. However, looking forward, and look forward we must, there’s plenty to remain optimistic about right here in New Jersey. Our political landscape is shifting, and the opportunities available for everyone here to fight for positive, progressive, state-based reform are numerous and exciting. This is our opportunity to demonstrate that New Jersey can once again become an innovator, a leader, and that we won’t give in to despair. We are, all of us, going to turn New Jersey into a state that represents the ideals we value, a state that repudiates of the politics of meanness and corporate greed. We’re going to strengthen [...]

On Friday, November 18, before the WEC Annual Awards Dinner, the Center for Health & Wellness at Princeton University and our partners at Isles will be hosting a first-of-its-kind conference, “The Impact of Lead Exposure on our Students: What Schools And Parents Can Do To Help” on the Princeton University campus. The keynote speaker of the conference will be Dr. Ralph Spezio from Rochester NY, a Ted Talk presenter, speaking about his experience with high lead levels in his students.  The morning panel will include neuroscientist Dr. Jay Schneider, who will review how even low levels of lead, far below the CDC reference level of 5ug/dL, adversely affects a child’s developing brain; Dr. Ted Lidsky who has assessed over 1000 children for lead in our region; and Dr. Janet Currie of Princeton who will report on her latest research about the relationship of lead levels to student test scores. The next panel will feature Mary Jean Brown, the recently retired chief of the Lead Division at CDC, and author of the CDC report Education Interventions for Children Affected by Lead;  and Dr. Vicki Sudhalter, clinical psychologist who specializes in working with children and families affected by lead. Flint pediatrician Dr. Mona [...]

Help WEC recognize the outstanding contributions of our five honorees by placing an ad in the program book or sponsoring the event. The WEC Annual Awards Dinner is our most important fundraiser of the year, and your support is critical to our success. We expect to be joined by at least 150 labor, environmental, community leaders and public officials, representing many thousands of New Jersey workers and residents. Please join us! WEC Annual Awards Dinner & 30th Anniversary Celebration Thursday, November 18, 2016 at The College of New Jersey, 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing, in the Education Building, Room 212. download the invitation and order form. Buy tickets