Shareholder Proposal on Network Neutrality Gains Momentum in Vote at Verizon
Results Surpass Those at AT&T; Third vote upcoming at Sprint on May 15 A shareholder proposal calling upon Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ – VZ) to publicly commit to network neutrality principles on its wireless networks gained significant momentum at the company’s annual meeting as shareholders supported the proposal by an even larger margin than their counterparts at AT&T did in a similar recent vote. The proposal at Verizon, which was offered and considered for the first time this year, attracted 7.9% of the votes cast by the company’s shareholders at the annual meeting in Huntsville, Alabama on May 3. …
As Citizens Protest 3M meeting, Investors Challenge Company Leaders on Political Spending
May 8, 2012 Contact: Mary Boyle – Common Cause (202) 736-5770 MINNEAPOLIS – Institutional shareholders and citizen activists challenged Minneapolis-based 3M Corp’s, political spending on Tuesday, urging the company to end its political giving and disclose its expenditures on lobbying. As investor representatives inside 3M’s annual shareholders’ meeting spoke in favor of two political spending measures on the company’s proxy, activists outside rallied in support of political spending reform at the manufacturing giant. “It’s time for 3M corporate leadership to stop using our company’s general treasury money as a political slush fund. There needs to be accountability,” said Mike Dean, …
Trillium Asset Management Solicits Shareholder Support for “No Political Spending” Proposals at Bank of America, 3M
As the annual stockholder meetings of 3M and Bank of America approach next week, Trillium Asset Management has reached out to shareholders seeking their support for our shareholder proposals at the two companies. The proposals call upon the companies to cease making all types of political contributions, both directly and indirectly through third-party vehicles. Read the full press release here. …
AT&T Shareholder Vote on Network Neutrality Surpasses Critical Threshold
For Immediate Release: Shares worth more than $11.4 billion voted in favor; Similar votes upcoming at Verizon and Sprint April 27, 2012: A shareholder proposal calling upon AT&T Inc. (NYSE – T) to publicly commit to network neutrality principles on its wireless networks attracted important support in initial voting results released today at the company’s annual meeting in Salt Lake City. The proposal, which was voted on for the first time this year, attracted at least 5.9% of the votes cast in this year’s proxy vote at AT&T, according to preliminary results released by the company. That percentage could climb …
Tessa Tennant, Sustainable Investing Pioneer on Several Continents, Wins Annual Joan Bavaria Award
Tessa Tennant, President and co-founder of The Ice Organisation, has been awarded the fourth-annual Joan Bavaria Award for Building Sustainability into the Capital Markets. The announcement was made at Tuesday’s opening reception of the Ceres annual conference, which runs April 25-26 at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel in Boston, MA. “I can’t think of anyone more deserving to win this year’s Bavaria Award,” said Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres. “Tessa is an inspirational leader who has worked tirelessly for more than 20 years integrating environmental and social concerns into investing and business decisions. She has taken Joan Bavaria’s original vision …
Trillium Submits Comments to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Regarding Payday Lending
In January 2012, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) convened a first-ever field hearing to gather information and input on the payday lending market. With the establishment of the CFPB, a federal agency for the first time can supervise not only bank payday lenders but also all nonbank payday lenders. The initial hearing coincided with the publication of the Bureau’s Short-Term, Small-Dollar Lending Procedures, an internal document that CFPB examiners will use to make sure payday lenders, banks and nonbanks alike, are following federal consumer financial laws. After the hearing, the CFPB invited the public to review the hearing transcript …
Trillium Successfully Engages Intel on Web-Filtering Software
Trillium Asset Management, LLC is pleased to report that Intel’s subsidiary, McAfee, announced that it would not participate in the Pakistani request for proposals to develop a nationwide censorship firewall. The use of McAfee’s SmartFilter product by repressive countries to suppress speech has been of great concern to us for the past year. Trillium has been engaging Intel on these issues since April of 2011. We believe that taking this important step reduces the company’s risk profile and demonstrates respect for human rights impacts. Trillium continues to engage Intel on human rights issues and we look forward to continuing this …
Trillium’s Jonas Kron Interviewed by Bloomberg TV Regarding Impact of a Potential Water Shortage
To mark the United Nation’s 2012 World Water Day, Jonas Kron, Vice President of Trillium Asset Management, was interviewed on Bloomberg Television’s “InBusiness With Margaret Brennan”. Producing enough food to feed the world’s rapidly growing population will require the international community to ensure the sustainable use of the world’s most critical finite resource, water. Trillium has been engaging companies and encouraging them to develop both short term and long term strategies to significantly reduce their fresh water usage. Jonas talked about the potential impacts that a water supply shortage could have on a company’s agricultural supply chain. You can see …
Trillium Withdraws Three Shareholder Resolutions Related to Corporate Political Spending
Boston, MA — March 21, 2012. Trillium Asset Management, LLC (“Trillium”) is pleased to announce the withdrawal of three 2012 shareholder resolutions related to corporate political spending. Trillium has recently withdrawn resolutions filed with Chubb Corp. (NYSE – CB), State Street Corp. (NYSE – STT) and Halliburton Company (NYSE – HAL) after the companies committed to make improvement in their transparency and accountability in their corporate spending on political activities. “As long-term investors, Trillium is concerned that gaps in transparency and accountability expose companies to reputational and business risks that could threaten long-term shareholder value. Publicly available data does not …
Food Retailers Voice Support for EPA Review of Pebble Mine Risks
Pursuant to corporate engagements led by Trillium Asset Management, the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), which represents 26,000 retail food stores and $680 billion in annual revenue (three-quarters of US retail food store sales), announced its support for the EPA study currently underway to determine the suitability of large-scale development in Bristol Bay, including the Pebble Mine. “Since Bristol Bay is one of the world’s largest sustainable salmon fisheries, it plays an important role in the supply chains of a number of our wholesale and retail members,” said Erik Lieberman, FMI’s Regulatory Counsel, in a letter to the EPA. “Investors representing …
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