Social – Page 17 – Trillium Asset Management

Verizon – Network Neutrality (2011)

December 2, 2010

WHEREAS A free and open Internet is critical to our nation’s economy and society. To maintain its many benefits, broad non-discrimination principles must be vigorously applied to the fastest-growing segment of the Internet – wireless broadband networks. These non-discrimination principles are commonly referred to as “network neutrality.” According to the Congressional Research Service, network neutrality seeks “to ensure equal access and non-discriminatory treatment” for all content. Network neutrality rules are needed to “facilitate the growth of the Internet and give private companies the correct incentives to continue investing in this significantly valuable good,” according to a 2010 report by the …

Verizon – Free and Open Internet (2010)

February 4, 2010

WHEREAS The Internet has become a defining infrastructure of our economy and society; Internet Service Providers like Verizon forge rules that shape, enable and limit Internet use. Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Chairman Genachowski recently noted that a free and open Internet is an “unprecedented platform for speech, democratic engagement, and a culture that prizes creative new ways of approaching old problems.” A free and open Internet, he said, demands Americans’ attention because the Internet must play a critical role in solving the “great challenges [we face] as a nation right now, including health care, education, energy, and public safety.” He …

Questar – Implement Sexual Orientation Non Discrimination Policy (2010)

February 4, 2010

WHEREAS Questar does not explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (or gender expression) in its written employment policy; Over 87% of the Fortune 500 companies have adopted written nondiscrimination policies prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, as have more than 97% of Fortune 100 companies, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Nearly 70% of the Fortune 100 and over 40% of the Fortune 500 now prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or expression; We believe that corporations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression have a competitive …

PPG – Community Accountability Report (2010)

February 4, 2010

RESOLVED Shareholders request the Board of Directors to report to shareholders, within six months, on how the corporation ensures that it responsibly discloses its environmental impacts in all of the communities where it operates. The report should be prepared at reasonable cost; omit proprietary information; and go above and beyond existing legal obligations and legal compliance systems. The report should contain the following: 1. how the corporation makes available reports regarding its emissions and environmental impacts on land, water, and soil—both within its permits and emergency emissions—to members of the communities where it operates; 2. how the corporation integrates community …

J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. – Pay Disparity Report (2010)

February 4, 2010

WHEREAS Recent events have increased concerns about the extraordinarily high levels of executive compensation at many U.S. corporations. Concerns about the structure of executive compensation packages have also intensified, with some suggesting that the compensation system incentivized excessive risk-taking. In a Forbes article on Wall Street pay, the director of the Program on Corporate Governance at Harvard Law School noted that, “compensation policies will prove to be quite costly—excessively costly—to shareholders.” Another study by Glass Lewis & Co. declared that compensation packages for the most highly paid U.S. executives “have been so over-the-top that they have skewed the standards for …

Home Depot- Equal Employment Opportunity Report (2010)

February 4, 2010

WHEREAS Equal employment opportunity (EEO) is a fair employment practice and an investment issue. We believe that companies with a good EEO record have a competitive advantage in recruiting and retaining employees. Moreover, we believe Home Depot customers are increasingly diverse; therefore a similarly diverse work force is more likely to anticipate and respond effectively to consumer demand. EEO reporting has economic relevance. Home Depot shareholder votes in favor of a diversity report surpassed 22%, 25%, and 25% in 2009, 2008 and 2007, respectively – sending a consistent signal to management that shareowners desire increased accountability. The Company annually files …

Coca-Cola Company – Toxic Chemicals in Products: Bisphenol A (BPA) (2010)

February 4, 2010

WHEREAS Coca-Cola is the world’s largest beverage company, annually selling almost 570 billion servings of beverages. A significant part of Coca-Cola’s business includes selling beverages in aluminum cans. Our company has developed a valuable premium brand based on the trust of consumers and our company’s market leadership. Coca-Cola’s Product Safety Policy states that Coke uses “the highest standards and processes for ensuring consistent product safety and quality.” Yet, Coca-Cola’s canned beverages use linings containing Bisphenol A (BPA), a potentially hazardous chemical. BPA has received media attention for its use in polycarbonate plastic bottles, which Coca-Cola does not use. However, BPA …

Gardner Denver – Gender Identity Non Discrimination (2010)

February 4, 2010

WHEREAS Gardner Denver, Inc. does not explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (or gender expression) in its written employment policy; Over 87% of the Fortune 500 companies have adopted written nondiscrimination policies prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, as have more than 97% of Fortune 100 companies, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Nearly 70% of the Fortune 100 and over 40% of the Fortune 500 now prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or expression; We believe that corporations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression have …

Bank of America – Mountain Top Removal Mining (2010)

February 4, 2010

WHEREAS Bank of America (BAC) recognizes that its ability to attract and retain customers and employees could be adversely affected “to the extent our reputation is damaged” and that “failure to address, or to appear to fail to address various issues” could damage the Corporation and its business prospects (2005 Annual Report). BAC also recognizes that: The company’s health is dependent on the health of communities and our society; Climate change and atmospheric pollution represent a risk to the ultimate stability and sustainability of our way of life; and Every part of our business has a potential impact on our …

AT&T – Free and Open Internet (2010)

February 4, 2010

WHEREAS The Internet has become a defining infrastructure of our economy and society; Internet Service Providers like AT&T forge rules that shape, enable and limit Internet use. Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Chairman Genachowski recently noted that a free and open Internet is an “unprecedented platform for speech, democratic engagement, and a culture that prizes creative new ways of approaching old problems.” A free and open Internet, he said, demands Americans’ attention because the Internet must play a critical role in solving the “great challenges [we face] as a nation right now, including health care, education, energy, and public safety.” He …