From the Executive Director's Desk
It's been a pretty tough month. We were incredibly saddened by the sudden passing of our friend and colleague Adrienne Markowitz. I'm grateful to Diana Crowder, Eileen Senn and Debra Coyle McFadden for honoring her with this beautiful memorial, and for continuing our fight for safe and healthy schools in NJ.
Adrienne and I were friends on Facebook, and one of the last things she shared was this insightful piece from her brother David Rosner, and his writing partners, Gerald Markowitz and Ronald Bayer, about the attacks on worker health, including the delay, yet again, of the long overdue silica rule. We must do better for workers.
We must also do better as a country when it comes to racial and social justice. Like many of our colleagues in the movement, I was horrified by the white nationalist gathering in Charlottesville this past weekend, and the act of domestic terrorism that claimed the life of Heather Heyer, and injured so many more. It was a sad, powerful reminder of how far we still need to go to address racism in this country. As the Southern Poverty Law Center has noted, there are at least 15 active hate groups right here in New Jersey. Clearly, there is much work to do. The WEC Board and staff remains committed to that work, busting out of our silos, and addressing inequality, social and economic. For those that might be interested in a deeper dive into understanding, and addressing these issues, please check out the trainer apprenticeship program we'll be running in late September, and consider applying today.
|
|
|
Remembering Adrienne Markowitz
It is with great sadness that the New Jersey Work Environment Council (WEC) shares that Adrienne Rosner Markowitz, our colleague, industrial hygiene consultant and Healthy Schools Coordinator, passed away on July 24, 2017. Adrienne had an indominable spirit and struggled with an aggressive form of breast cancer for several years. Adrienne was a warm, loving, compassionate colleague who developed many deep working and mentoring relationships over the years. Adrienne loved her work with WEC and the New Jersey Education Association and it sustained her during her illness. Please click here to read more about Adrienne's incredible life.
|
|
Apply to Help Build a Movement
Join us on September 29th and 30th at NJEA Headquarters in Trenton to learn how our economy, and our democracy, have been strip-mined by financial institutions. This intensive training will involve materials developed by Les Leopold, author of Runaway Inequality and director of The Labor Institute.
We’ve already trained 45 educators, who are working across Jersey to share this content within their organizations, spreading the word to fellow activists. Join the discussion on direct actions that we can take to address the fundamental inequalities in our system. Space is limited to 20 participants.
Please click here to learn more and apply today!
|
|
|
Booker to Pruitt:
Protect Americans Now
WEC commends Senators Booker (D-NJ) and Carper (D-DE) for standing up for millions of Americans that live near chemical facilities by calling on the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to immediately reverse course and implement the chemical safety rule. The final rule was issued in January 2017, late in the Obama Administration. EPA Administrator Pruitt has delayed putting the rule into effect until February 2019 continuing to leave workers, first responders and fence line community members at risk. The rule was the outcome of input from more than 60,000 stakeholders from community members to industry representatives that took more than three years to finalize. The letter to Pruitt was signed by all Democrats on the Environment and Public Works Committee.
|
|
|
|
Registration Coming Soon!
|
|
|
|
Need a speaker for an upcoming event, meeting, or training conference on workplace, environmental, or school safety issues? WEC staff would love to help. Contact Cecelia Gilligan Leto for more information.
|
|
|
|
|
|
