The following statement is from Debra Coyle McFadden, executive director of the New Jersey Work Environment Council (WEC).

“We’re glad to see Doug Parker, a highly qualified safety professional, confirmed today by the U.S. Senate. As assistant secretary of labor, he will head the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

“Doug brings his experience as head of Cal/OSHA, the nation’s largest statewide safety agency. He also served as executive director at Worksafe, a non-profit that provides legal services and public advocacy for workers seeking to improve safety on the job. Worksafe and WEC are both affiliates of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health.

“OSHA has taken many important steps forward this year, after failing miserably to respond to the COVID-19 crisis in our workplaces in 2020. There is a great deal more work to be done, both to address the ongoing pandemic and to reduce the hazards that cause far too many preventable illnesses, injuries, and fatalities in our workplaces. WEC and our labor and environmental partners will continue to advocate for the strongest possible protections for New Jersey workers, families and communities.”

The New Jersey Work Environment Council (WEC) is an alliance of labor, community, and environmental organizations working together for safe, secure jobs, and a healthy, sustainable environment. WEC is an affiliate of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health network. For more information, please visit NJWEC.org