ABOUT WEC

Safe, Secure Jobs and a Healthy, Sustainable Environment

Each year about 135,000 New Jersey workers suffer a job-related disease or injury. New Jersey also has huge environmental problems. We breathe unhealthy air one out of three summer days. Eighty-five percent of our waterways are too polluted for fishing or swimming. We have more than 16,000 toxic waste sites. Many workers toil in dangerous workplaces and much of our population lives near these industries. Yet, despite the widespread fear of job losses, working people and communities are acting together to prevent these hazards.

The New Jersey Work Environment Council (WEC) is a membership alliance of labor, environmental, and community organizations working for safe, secure jobs and a healthy, sustainable environment. WEC links workers, communities, and environmentalists through training, technical assistance, grassroots organizing and public policy campaigns to promote dialogue, collaboration, and joint action. Formed in 1986, WEC is the nation's oldest state labor/environmental (or "blue/green") coalition.

National Links

WEC has links to national organizations and campaigns and to state and regional organizations doing similar work by:

Utilizing an informal network of advisors on right to know, chemical security, and green chemistry issues, including representatives from national unions, current and former staff of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, Working Group on Community Right to Know (part of OMB Watch), the SAFER network, and other organizations.
Keeping in touch with environmental justice efforts. For example, we participated in the Ford Foundation's convening of 40 environmental justice leaders from across the nation and are a member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionist's Community Action and Response Against Toxics Team.
Helping to lead the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (COSH groups) composed of 20 coalitions across the nation.
Piloting training with the Labor and Public Health Institutes, pioneers of participatory education to promote labor and environment collaboration.
Being the first state participant in the Green Jobs for America campaign sponsored by the Blue Green Alliance, United Steelworkers, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, Green for All, and Working America.