Nucor Corp. – Implement Sexual Orientation Nondiscrimination Policy (2007)

Outcome: Successfully Withdrawn

WHEREAS:  Nucor does not explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in its written employment policy;Nucor is increasingly isolated in its position, as 98% of Fortune 100Ò companies, and more than 80% of the Fortune 500Ò companies, have adopted written nondiscrimination policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation, according to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HCRF);
We believe that the hundreds of corporations with nondiscrimination policies that reference sexual orientation have a competitive advantage in recruiting and retaining employees from the widest talent pool;
According to a September 2002 survey by Harris Interactive and Witeck-Combs, 41% of gay and lesbian workers in the United States reported an experience with some form of job discrimination related to sexual orientation; almost one out of every 10 gay or lesbian adults also stated that they had been fired or dismissed unfairly from a previous job, or pressured to quit a job because of their sexual orientation;
Fourteen states, the District of Columbia, and more than 200 cities and counties have laws prohibiting employment discrimination based on sexual orientation;
Our company has operations in, and makes sales to, institutions in states and cities that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation;
National public opinion polls consistently find more than three-quarters of the American people support equal rights in the workplace for gay men, lesbians and bisexuals; for example, in a Gallup poll conducted in June 2001, 85% of respondents favored equal opportunity in employment for gays and lesbians.
RESOLVED: The Shareholders request that Nucor amend its written equal employment opportunity policy to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and to substantially implement that policy.
STATEMENT: Employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation diminishes employee morale and productivity. Because state and local laws differ with respect to employment discrimination, our company would benefit from a consistent, corporate-wide policy to enhance efforts to prevent discrimination, resolve complaints internally, and ensure a respectful and supportive atmosphere for all employees.  Nucor will enhance its competitive edge by joining the growing ranks of companies guaranteeing equal opportunity for all employees.