Highlights

What OffShore Wind Could Do for Economy and Jobs in NJ

Sometimes success is about being in the right place at the right time. Eight years after the signing of one of the nation’s most robust laws to open the market to offshore-wind generation, New Jersey’s moment has arrived. On September 13, Gov. Phil Murphy announced that the state is on course to reach its benchmark goal of 3,500 megawatts of offshore-wind energy capacity by 2030. And on October 1, he announced the creation of the Wind Innovation & New Development Institute, a key plank of his economic master plan which will catalyze investment to meet offshore-wind goals. Matched with the tangible actions of the Board of Public Utilities which last month unanimously approved opening an application window for 1,100 MW of offshore-wind capacity, we now stand on the verge of realizing the paired goals of responsible environmental policy and investment in dynamic economic development for New Jersey and the region. The investment in offshore wind is strategic because of the expected capacity to match — and exceed — existing energy needs. “Wind Power to Spare,” a recent Environment New Jersey report, indicates there is enough wind off the Atlantic coast to generate four times the amount of electricity that the [...]

By |2019-07-09T17:35:23-04:00October 18th, 2018|Highlights, Opinion Pieces|Comments Off on What OffShore Wind Could Do for Economy and Jobs in NJ

2018 Awards Dinner

The New Jersey Work Environment Council holds its major fundraiser, an awards dinner, each year. We look forward to being joined by labor, environmental, community leaders and public officials, representing many thousands of New Jersey workers and residents. The event will be held on Friday, November 30, 2018, 6:00 pm at The College of New Jersey, 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing, in the Education Building, Room 212. Enjoy hors d'oeuvres, beer, wine, and a buffet dinner, with ample time to network and mingle with friends. WEC relies on the generosity of our members to help fund our mission: working for safe, secure jobs and a healthy, sustainable environment. Dinner Invitation & Order Form Rev. Dr. Charles F. Boyer Pastor, Bethel AME Church in Woodbury and Founder, Salvation and Social Justice The Reverend Dr. Charles Franklin Boyer is a third generation African Methodist Episcopal Preacher. He is the pastor of Bethel AME Church in Woodbury, NJ, the founder of Salvation and Social Justice, and the co-convener of The NJ Black Multi-Faith Alliance, The NJ Prophetic Agenda, and the United Black Agenda. He leads various boards, initiatives and committees. He earned a Bachelorette of Science and Master’s in Business Administration from [...]

By |2018-11-16T15:00:16-05:00September 6th, 2018|Events, Highlights, Uncategorized|Comments Off on 2018 Awards Dinner

Now Hiring! WEC Seeks Campaign Organizer

WEC is hiring a campaign organizer. The person hired will organize and expand a dynamic grassroots advocacy efforts, Healthy Schools Now. The effort focuses on ensuring that all New Jersey children and school employees learn and work in healthy, safe, and modern public schools. For more information, see our job posting.

By |2018-09-04T10:39:17-04:00September 4th, 2018|Highlights, Job Postings|Comments Off on Now Hiring! WEC Seeks Campaign Organizer

New Jersey’s Warehouse Workers Deserve Better

Many cities and towns in New Jersey are home to warehouse distribution centers. These are places where people pack and ship products that are later sold at Amazon.com and other large online retailers, as well as brick-and-mortar retail stores. Ensuring that jobs at these warehouses are safe, secure, and pay family-sustaining wages is crucial for the future of New Jersey’s economy. Read the full opinion-editorial on Northjersey.com by Brandon Castro,  and Alberto Arroyo, International Vice President Workers' United, SEIU and WEC Public Need Over Corporate Greed organizer. Public Need Over Corporate Greed campaign

By |2018-08-03T13:46:25-04:00August 3rd, 2018|Highlights, Opinion Pieces|Comments Off on New Jersey’s Warehouse Workers Deserve Better

We’re part of an emerging voice America should listen to: Young people

Rodents in the cafeteria. Crumbling ceilings. Mold growing in the classroom. Extreme temperatures in excess of 90 degrees. Toxic air quality from poor indoor air ventilation. Concerns about asbestos, lead and other toxins in the walls and pipes. Unfortunately, these are common problems right here in our New Jersey schools. The Healthy Schools Now coalition is committed to addressing these conditions and ensuring healthy school environments for all students. We believe that access to a healthy and safe school environment is essential for receiving a thorough and efficient education. We have fought to make that vision a reality by organizing and advocating for policy changes, demanding improvements for school facilities and issuing recommendations about school facility policies, including advocating for increased bonding for the New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Recently, new voices have caused us to think about broadening our mission. Students expressed fear that what happened in Texas, Florida, and other schools around the country, could happen in their schools. They talked about how easy it was to get into a school. They highlighted how simple it would be to bring a gun into a classroom. Read the full opinion-editorial on NJ.com from the Star-Ledger by Jerell Blakeley, WEC [...]

By |2018-07-05T10:16:13-04:00July 5th, 2018|Highlights, Opinion Pieces, Uncategorized|Comments Off on We’re part of an emerging voice America should listen to: Young people

Murphy’s state bank would help working families, boost local economy

New Jersey has an investment problem. The Garden State's numerous credit downgrades, budget shortfalls, crumbling infrastructure, chronic underfunding of critical programs and priorities are well known. The source of these issues isn't a lack of capital or wealth. New Jersey is among the nation's wealthiest states with a growing millionaire population. Many argue that Jersey's credit woes stem from former Gov. Chris Christie's continuation of ill-advised tax cuts that weakened state coffers, along with an underfunded pension system dating back to the Gov. Christie Whitman years. This irresponsible fiscal policy reinforced backwards, yet persistent notions that hedge funds and enormous corporations should be appeased before tax dollars are invested in small businesses, public services, and working families. New Jersey deposits taxpayer funds directly into Wall Street and foreign banks, coupling tax giveaways with misdirected investments and high fees. Read the full opinion-editorial on NJ.com from the Star-Ledger by Dan Fatton, WEC executive director and Analilia Mejia, executive director of NJ Working Families Alliance.

By |2018-05-15T15:45:40-04:00May 15th, 2018|Highlights, Opinion Pieces|Comments Off on Murphy’s state bank would help working families, boost local economy

Job Announcement

New Jersey Work Environment Council (WEC) Executive Director Job Announcement and Description Review of applications will begin immediately and end when a candidate is selected. The New Jersey Work Environment Council (WEC) is seeking an Executive Director. This is an exciting and unusual opportunity for someone with the skills, experience, and commitment needed to help build a powerful movement for social change that unites labor, environmental, and community constituencies. Founded in 1986, WEC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit alliance of 70 New Jersey labor, community, and environmental organizations working together for safe, secure jobs and a healthy, sustainable environment. Through organizing, coalition-building, public policy campaigns, education, training, and technical assistance, WEC promotes dialogue, collaboration, and joint action by workers, community members, and environmentalists. While its programmatic efforts are focused in New Jersey, as the first state-based blue-green alliance, WEC has long served as a national model for labor-environmental collaboration. WEC’s public voice is well-informed, creative, and bold. We take on powerful corporate and political interests to serve our mission. Full Job Announcement

By |2018-05-07T11:53:00-04:00May 7th, 2018|Highlights, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Job Announcement

Workers and Environmentalists Stand in Solidarity on Climate

"The labor movement has stood strong for decades under the banner of “an injury to one is an injury to all.” Our organizations have recognized that it’s time we applied this slogan to the environment. For centuries, we have been injuring the earth, using resources with abandon, and ignoring the science on carbon emissions. Federal administrators are moving in the wrong direction, rolling back environmental protections that can protect workers. This Workers Memorial Day, we stand together for both worker protections and strong climate policies because we can’t have one without the other. An injury to the planet is an injury to us all." Read the full opinion-editorial in NJ Spotlight by Lou Kimmel, executive director of New Labor, and Dan Fatton, executive director, WEC. Full Op-Ed Photos of Workers Memorial Day Jersey Renews

By |2018-05-01T10:54:32-04:00May 1st, 2018|Highlights, Opinion Pieces|Comments Off on Workers and Environmentalists Stand in Solidarity on Climate

Workers’ Memorial Day Rally & March on Earth Day

Intersectional Coalition Calls for Action on Climate & Worker Protection New Brunswick, NJ – Hundreds gathered at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple on Sunday, April 22 to celebrate Workers’ Memorial Day, an annual day of action to remember those who have died or been injured on the job, and raise awareness to prevent future illnesses, injuries, and deaths. This year, Workers’ Memorial Day and Earth Day fell on the same Sunday, creating an opportunity to talk about the connection between climate change and worker safety. The event, organized by New Labor, the New Jersey Work Environment Council, and other partners in the Jersey Renews coalition, brought together a diverse group of workers, immigrants, environmentalists, and health professionals to march and rally for climate and worker justice. "Climate change is already a public health emergency, and the impacts on workers and communities are only going to get worse. This Earth Day, unions, worker centers, faith groups and environmental organizations are standing in solidarity demanding action on climate change. We recognize that if we want to protect workers and provide safety for everyone, we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Dan Fatton, executive director of the New Jersey Work Environment Council. “Members [...]

By |2018-04-23T12:49:01-04:00April 23rd, 2018|Highlights, Press Releases|Comments Off on Workers’ Memorial Day Rally & March on Earth Day
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