Against a backdrop of uncertainty and instability, investors are being asked to address systemic risks across their portfolios. Exercising voting rights in support of a fair economy, decent work and racial justice is a practical way for investors to take action this spring.
The CCSN held our annual Proxy Power Webinar on April 21, 2022. We examined key votes related to decent work in the 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM) season in companies that are either headquartered in Canada or have a significant employment footprint. The webinar included a worker, organizer, and investors.
This webinar is for trustees, investment committee members and other institutional investors interested in using their voting rights to hold portfolio companies accountable for decent work outcomes in the 2022 proxy season.
SPEAKERS:
- Christopher, Migrant agricultural worker at a Loblaw supplier
- Syed Hussan, Migrant Workers Alliance for Change
- James Infantino, Public Service Alliance of Canada
- Juana Lee, Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE)
- Jenn Miller, Atkinson Foundation
- Emma Pullman, BC Government and Service Employees Union
- Anthony Schein, Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE)
RESOLUTIONS (Abbreviated information):
Loblaw Companies Limited (TSE:L)
AGM: May 5, 2022
- Proposal 1 on a report on human rights impacts on migrant workers from the Company’s business activities in its operations and supply chain (Proxy Management Circular, p. 86)
- Proposal 2 on supplier audits related to concerns regarding forced and child labour in cotton harvests in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China (Proxy Management Circular, p. 87)
Restaurant Brands International Inc. (TSE: QSR)
AGM: May 3, 2022
- Proposal on a report for the disclosure of human capital performance indicators and information on how franchisees adopt competitive employment standards, including wages and benefits
Dollarama Inc (TSE: DOL)
AGM: TBA
- Proposal asking Dollarama to disclose whether it requires its suppliers, including its third-party staffing agencies, to respect their employees’ right to free association / collective bargaining, and if not, why not.
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN)
AGM: May 26, 2022
Please note that the CWC and SOC Investment Group is organizing a webinar on Amazon on April 27 (7:30 am PT | 10:30 am ET) that will focus largely on SHARE’s shareholder resolution on freedom of association and collective bargaining. Register for the webinar here.
- Proposal asking for a tax transparency report to shareholders, prepared in consideration of the indicators and guidelines set forth in the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) Tax Standard.
- Proposal asking for a report analyzing how Amazon’s current human rights policies and practices protect the fundamental rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining as guaranteed by the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights
SNC-Lavalin (TSE: SNC)
AGM: May 5, 2022
- Proposal 5 on comprehensive quantitative data on workforce composition (e.g., recruitment, retention and promotion rates) and compensation practices (e.g., wages, bonuses and access to benefits) by gender, race and ethnicity (p. 125)
Walmart (NYSE: WMT)
AGM: June 1, 2022
- Proposal for a public report on whether and how Walmart’s racial justice goals and commitments align with the starting pay for all classifications of Walmart associates
