FORWARD, NOT BACK (formerly Save Our Sensible Safeuards)
Stand Up for Good Jobs and Healthy Communities, Not Wall Street and Corporate CEOs
Professional Firefighters Association of NJ, International Association of Fire Fighters NJ Fraternal Order of Police Teamsters Local 35, 97, 102, 469, and 877 United Steelworkers District 4 USW Local 4-149, 4-397, 4-417, and New Jersey Education Association AFSCME Council 1 International Chemical Workers Union Council, United Food & Commercial Workers Union United Food and Commercial Workers Region 1 United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1360 SEIU 32BJ District 1199J, National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) American Federation of Teachers (AFT) - New Jersey Union of Rutgers Administrators, AFT Local 1766 AFT Local 1904 Stockton Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 2275 Health Professionals and Allied Employees (AFT) International Federation of Professional and Technical Employees Local 194 International Federation of Professional and Technical Employees Local 195 Communications Workers of America District 1 Communications Workers of America Local 1036 Communications Workers of America Local 1037, 1081 and 1085 American Federation of Government Employees, District 2 United Transportation Union United Electrical Workers Local 155 Burlington County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO New Labor NJ Industrial Union Council Philadelphia Area Project on Occupational Safety and Health (covering southern NJ) NJ Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility Jewish Labor Committee ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH, PUBLIC INTEREST, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS Association of NJ Environmental Commissions New Jersey Citizen Action Environment New Jersey NJ Public Interest Research Group New Jersey Audubon Society Sierra Club - New Jersey Chapter New Jersey Environmental Lobby NJ Environmental Justice Alliance American Littoral Society Clean Ocean Action GreenFaith Greenpeace Clean Water Action Air and Energy Program, Natural Resources Defense Council Camden County Branch, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Ironbound Community Corp Concerned Citizens Coalition of Long Branch Paterson Task Force for Community Action Edison Wetlands Association Upper Raritan Watershed Assoc. South Branch Watershed Assoc. Delaware Riverkeeper Network South Jersey Bayshore Coalition NY/NJ Baykeeper Hackensack Riverkeeper NJ Highlands Coalition NJ Friends of Clearwater Pinelands Preservation Alliance Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association Shark River Cleanup Coalition Musconetcong Watershed Association Sourland Planning Council Great Swamp Watershed Association Great Egg Harbor Watershed Association Delaware River Greenway Partnership NJ Conservation Foundation Education Law Center NJ Special Education Practitioners Statewide Parent Advocacy Network Healthy Schools Network Food and Water Watch Environmental Research Foundation NJ Environmental Watch Projects for Environmental Health, Knowledge, & Action, Inc. Housing and Community Development Network of NJ New Jersey Tenants Organization National Lawyers Guild, Rutgers-Camden Chapter Progressive Democrats of America NJ Progressive Democratic Caucus |
January 6, 2012
Take Action to Protect Worker and Public Health and the Environment
Please act today to urge New Jersey legislative leaders to post legislation (SCR239/ACR206) for a vote to override Governor Christie's proposed rule that would allow the NJ Department of Environmental Protection to waive its own regulations. If this rule is not blocked, it will weaken decades of safeguards that protect public health, worker safety, and environmental protection.
This Monday, January 9, 2012, is the last voting day of this legislative session and likely our last chance to block this terrible deregulation rule, short of litigation.
CALL TODAY!
Call Senate President Steve Sweeney (856) 251-9801 and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (973) 395-1166 and urge them to post SCR239/ACR206 this Monday, January 9, to allow a vote by the full Senate and Assembly.
Here are some steps you can
take:
* Sign a Forward, Not Back pledge card to show your support.
Ask others to sign too.
* Pass a resolution from your
organization. Get model
resolutions and pledge cards
from WEC.
* Invite a speaker to your
next meeting to talk about
sensible safeguards and the
Jobs21! plan. To make arrangements call (609) 695-7100 or email info @ njwec.org.
Forward, Not Back (incorporating Save Our Sensible Safeguards) is a campaign to defeat bipartisan attacks on decades of New Jersey's landmark protections.
This campaign is endorsed by many labor, environmental, community, health, education and other organizations.
Forward, Not Back has two objectives.
1. To protect and strengthen sensible public safeguards for our health and safety in our communities.
2. To support enactment of Jobs 21! action plan developed by the BlueGreen Alliance
The plan would create
millions of jobs and save
billions of dollars by...
* Modernizing our schools to
make them energy efficient,
safe, and technologically up to-date learning and teaching
environments.
* Increasing energy efficiency in homes and other buildings.
* Supporting American manufacturing of sustainable. "green" products and other
needs.
* Investing in transportation and communications systems
for the 21st century.
* Producing cleaner energy through seed money and incentives
for wind and solar
power and other renewables.
For more information about Jobs 21!, visit the BlueGreen Alliance website.
January 13, 2012 - The Star Ledger
Stronger Safeguards Needed in N.J. Hospitals, Nursing Homes by Ann Twomey, President, Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) and Chrystal Disant, Health and Safety Chair, HPAE Local 5004 and a member of the WEC Board of Directors
November 15, 2011 - The Star Ledger
Opinion: Gov. Chris Christie Halted Projects to Improve School Safety by Eileen Senn, WEC Industrial Hygiene Consultant
October 23, 2011 - The Record of Bergen County
Opinion: Why We are Better Off with Right-to-Know Laws by Rick Engler, WEC Director
September 21, 2011 - The Star Ledger
Opinion: Corporate Efforts to Remove Workplace Safeguards Threaten Health, Safety, Quality of Life Opinion Piece by John Shinn, Director, District 4, United Steelworkers and a member of the WEC Board of Directors
August 16, 2011 - The Record of Bergen County
Opinion: Job Killing Regulations' Do Nothing of the Sort by John Pajak, Vice President, Teamsters Local 877 and WEC President
June 19, 2011 - Star Ledger
A Conversation with Rick Engler on the Environment
Christie talks a good game, but hasn't delivered much yet.
March 21, 2011 - Philadelphia Inquirer
Environmental Regulatory Shift in N.J. Draws Praise and Concern by Maya Rao
June 10, 2010 - NJ Spotlight
Spotlight: Oil Worker and Activist: John Pajak (WEC President)
June 10, 2010 - NJ Spotlight
Opinion: The High Price of Lower Environmental Standards
June 9, 2010 - The Star Ledger
N.J. Coalition Petitions Lawmakers to Kill Bill Against Tougher Safety, Conservation, Health Rules
June 9, 2010
Press Release from Save Our Sensible Safeguards
June 7, 011
Press Release from Majority Leader Buono
Resources
November 22, 2011:
Letter to Speaker Shelia Oliver
Factsheet: How S1986 and/or A2486 Would Harm New Jersey
Factsheet: General Factsheet on A2486/S1986