Stories from the front lines By Dorothy Wigmore Ventilation matters, disinfecting less so The Metuchen Education Association has worked with district administrators and its UniServ field Rep, Nancy Grbelja, about…
By Dorothy Wigmore They’re both invisible, usually. One—ventilation—is essential to education unions in this pandemic. The other—how to win changes around the topic—is too. Across the country, activists are inspecting…
By Dorothy Wigmore Indoor air quality. Mold. Toxic chemicals. The pandemic. Most school staff face occupational health and safety (OHS) hazards, affecting their physical and mental health, spirits and job…
Use the science, and basic principles By Dorothy Wigmore What does “safe” or “healthy” mean for students and staff and their communities during a pandemic? As of press time, it…
By Dorothy Wigmore The times are fascinating, scary and overwhelming, as the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps around the world. Like many other workplaces, schools are closed, and it is not clear,…
Good contract language increases your rights for action By Dorothy Wigmore School may be out, but the pandemic has taught us many things. One is that governments are sometimes slow…
What’s happening, what to do By Dorothy Wigmore For many years, asbestos, the “magic mineral” was used in thousands of products found in homes, workplaces and schools. Starting in the…
Especially for youth By Dorothy Wigmore The numbers are disturbing, and they’re getting worse. Millions of middle and high school students in the U.S. now are using e-cigarettes, just as…
Whatever it’s called, it doesn’t work By Dorothy Wigmore Who cleans your school? Who drives the buses in your district? Who’s preparing and serving meals in the cafeteria? Why does…
By Dorothy Wigmore The stories about New Jersey’s widespread problems with toxins in drinking water can be scary. Some contaminants—such as well-known lead and the newer poly- and perfluoroalkyl (PFAS)…