named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
Construction Safety School
Offers safety training for construction workers, focusing on hazard recognition, emergency response, and regulatory compliance, with an emphasis on immigrant and non-union workers.
Industrial Hygiene Services
Provides workplace assessments including air sampling, noise surveys, and ergonomic evaluations to identify and control health hazards across industries.
Nail Salon Coalition
Coalition co-founded by NYCOSH to advocate for safer working conditions, fair wages, and stronger rights for nail salon workers, particularly immigrant women.
Nail Salon Worker School
State-certified, free training program that prepares nail salon workers for New York State licensing exams, with courses in Spanish and partner-led instruction in Nepali and Vietnamese.
TEMP Coalition
Advocacy initiative pushing for enforceable standards to protect workers from extreme heat and cold, including legislative campaigns and public education.
Wage Theft Prevention Program
Conducts workshops and community organizing to help workers identify, document, and report wage theft, while advocating for stronger enforcement policies.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Worker Rights Advocacy & Wage Protection 4 activities
- Advocates for stronger worker protection laws and safety standardsLeads advocacy campaigns to strengthen workplace safety regulations and labor rights, including efforts that led to 2015 state legislation on licensing and wage bond protections, the 2016 nail salon ventilation standards, and the introduction of extreme temperature legislation in New York State.
- Produces research reports on occupational safety and health risksConducts and supports research on workplace safety issues, including the annual "Deadly Skyline" reports analyzing construction fatalities in New York and highlighting risks for immigrant and Latinx workers. Also produced research on reproductive health harms and poor working conditions among nail salon workers.
- Supports nail salon workers through coalition-building and rights educationCo-founded and supports the Nail Salon Coalition to improve safety and labor rights for predominantly Latina and Asian immigrant women. Provides training on workplace hazards, health protections, and labor rights, along with legal service referrals, and published educational materials on health risks and safety improvements.
- Supports worker advocacy and wage theft preventionConducts workshops to help workers identify wage theft, collect evidence, and report violations safely. Engages in advocacy with lawmakers and labor allies to strengthen enforcement and increase penalties for employers who violate wage laws.
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Workforce Readiness Training 1 activity
- Operates a free Nail Salon Worker School in New YorkRuns the only certified and free Nail Salon Worker School in New York, offering a 27-hour specialty trainee course that prepares workers for state-required written and practical exams. Includes review sessions and direct assistance with licensing applications, having graduated over 1,200 workers.
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Union-Affiliated Trade Apprenticeship & Training 1 activity
- Provides safety training for workers across industriesDelivers hands-on, interactive safety training programs customized to specific workplaces and industries, including construction, healthcare, food service, and office environments. Training covers hazard communication, ergonomics, respiratory protection, fall protection, workplace violence prevention, and OSHA compliance, and is offered in multiple languages with real-world expertise.
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Disaster Relief and Recovery Services 1 activity
- Supports 9/11-affected workers and survivors in accessing health careAssists responders, workers, residents, and survivors in accessing medical care and long-term health support through the World Trade Center Health Program.
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Uncategorized 3 activities
- Conducts industrial hygiene and workplace hazard assessmentsProvides comprehensive site assessments and industrial hygiene services to identify and evaluate chemical, physical, and biological hazards such as airborne contaminants, noise, heat stress, and ergonomic risks. Delivers detailed reports with recommendations for engineering controls, administrative measures, and personal protective equipment to mitigate risks.
- Funds workplace safety training and research initiativesProvides funding for construction safety training programs, industrial hygiene assessments, worker advocacy efforts, and research projects aimed at preventing workplace injuries in New York City.
- Provides resource guides and educational materials for worker safetyDevelops and distributes practical guides such as the Workers’ Resource Guide, "Creating a Healthier Workplace," and H5N1 Bird Flu prevention materials to educate workers on health risks, safety practices, employer responsibilities, and access to legal and medical services.
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financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$2.73M
Contributions & grants$2.57M94%
Program service revenue$30K1%
Investment income$2K0%
Other revenue$122K
expenses
Total expenses$2.86M
Program expenses63%
Admin / overhead34%
Fundraising2%
Salaries & benefits$1.75M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$3.29M
Cash$279K
Investments$0
Liabilities$1.84M
Net assets$1.45M
Liquid reserves1.2 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue +0.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlene Obernauer | Executive Director | 35 | $181K |
board members · 18
- Brendan Griffith — Co-Vice Chairperson
- Cassidy Wray — At-Large Member
- Claudia Shacter-deChabert — Co-Vice Chairperson
- Deborah Williams — Co-Vice Chairperson
- Earl Phillips — At-Large Member
- Elba Liz — At-Large Member
- Eno Awotoye — At-Large Member
- Fred Wren — At-Large Member
- Jean Grassman — Organizational Secretary
- Jeffrey E Hyman — At-Large Member
- Jessica Garcia — Chairperson
- Jose Santos — At-Large Member
- Joseph DiPaola — At-large Member
- Matthew Kozak — At-Large Member
- PJ Terkoski — At-Large Member
- Randy Sullivan — At-Large Member
- Robert Grey — Treasurer
- Tom Gordon — At-Large Member
relationships · 18
Who they work with
- Adhikaar Partner — Co-founded the New York Healthy Nail Salons Coalition with NYCOSH and nail salon workers.
- Assemblymember Harry Bronson Government — Sponsor of extreme temperature legislation supported by TEMP coalition.
- Nail Salon Workers Partner — Collaborates with nail salon workers to develop and disseminate health and safety education materials.
- National COSH Network Network — Member of the National COSH Network, collaborating with other COSH groups to advance worker health and safety.
- New York State Department of State Government — Partners with the agency to assist workers in registering for the Nail Specialty Trainee License.
- Senator Jessica Ramos Government — Sponsor of extreme temperature legislation supported by TEMP coalition.
- World Trade Center Health Program Partner — Collaborates to ensure affected individuals receive medical care and long-term support.
- agencies Government — Engages with government agencies to improve enforcement systems for wage theft violations.
- community groups Partner — Partners with community organizations to support underserved workers.
- community-based organizations Network — Member group within a coalition working to improve occupational safety and health.
- environmental groups Partner — Works with environmental organizations to promote environmental health in workplaces.
- health and safety professionals Network — Member group within a coalition working to improve occupational safety and health.
- labor allies Partner — Works with labor allies to advocate for stronger wage theft penalties and improved worker protections.
- lawmakers Partner — Collaborates with lawmakers to strengthen enforcement of wage theft protections and increase penalties for violators.
- unions Network — Member group within a coalition working to improve occupational safety and health.
- unions Partner — Collaborates with unions to advance worker safety and health.
- workers Network — Member group within a coalition working to improve occupational safety and health.
- workers' rights activists Network — Member group within a coalition working to improve occupational safety and health.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Data-Driven Research for Systemic Advocacymethodology: data_driven_advocacyBy generating and publicizing research on workplace fatalities and hazards, we produce pressure for policy and enforcement reforms because credible, localized data makes invisible risks visible and compels institutional accountability.
- Education-Advocacy-Action Modelmethodology: education_advocacy_actionBy combining worker education, advocacy, and direct action, we produce systemic change in workplace safety and rights, because empowered workers supported by collective action are more effective at challenging and transforming exploitative systems.
- Integrated Individual and Systemic Interventionmethodology: integrated_individual_systemicBy addressing both immediate worker harms and root systemic causes through combined direct support and policy advocacy, we produce sustainable improvements in worker well-being because individual and structural change reinforce each other.
- Worker-Centered Organizing and Empowermentmethodology: worker_centered_organizingBy centering worker voices, lived experiences, and community leadership in research, education, and advocacy, we produce durable systemic change because solutions grounded in frontline reality are more legitimate, effective, and sustainable.