Proxy Voting Guidelines - Social Issues

COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT AND PREDATORY LENDING

We support resolutions that promote community reinvestment by financial institutions in low-income, often predominantly minority communities. We also support resolutions against predatory lending practices.

DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Burma

We support resolutions that seek to stop companies doing business with the Burmese military junta.

Chad-Cameroon Pipeline

We support resolutions that ask companies to review the impact on the environment and the economy of the communities affected by the Chad-Cameroon pipeline project.

China: Workplace Standards

We support resolutions asking companies to ensure that the human and labor rights of its employees in China and of its contractors’ employees are respected. We also vote in favor of resolutions that seek to prohibit companies from using forced labor or the products of forced labor in China.

China: Three Gorges Dam

We oppose the construction of the Three Gorges Dam because the project would result in egregious damage to the environment and the relocation of over one million people. We support resolutions that seek to end corporate involvement in the construction and financing of the dam.

Indigenous People’s Rights

We vote in favor of resolutions that ask companies to report on the impact of their operations on the rights of indigenous peoples. We support resolutions that address resource extraction projects on indigenous people’s lands.

Northern Ireland

We support the MacBride Principles, a code of conduct that addresses the problem of workplace religious discrimination in Northern Ireland. We vote in favor of resolutions asking companies to agree to implement the MacBride Principles.

PetroChina: East Turkestan, Sudan and Tibet

We support resolutions asking investors in PetroChina to use their influence to urge the company to respect human rights and the environment where it operates, including East Turkestan (Xinjiang), the Sudan and Tibet. We also support resolutions urging divestment of stock in PetroChina.

DIVERSITY

Boards of Directors

We will vote in favor of a board if at least 20% of its members are women and/or minorities. We will vote against those boards that are not. We will support resolutions that ask companies to make a greater effort in recruiting minority and women candidates to their boards.

Equal Employment

Opportunity We believe that ensuring equal opportunity in the workplace is good business practice. We support resolutions that ask companies to disclose their diversity policies and practices. We also support the disclosure of statistical data filed with the Equal Employment Commission providing a breakdown of a company’s workforce by sex and race.

Nondiscrimination: Sexual Orientation

We support resolutions that ask companies to add the terms “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” and/or “gender expression” to their written nondiscrimination policies.

Nondiscrimination: Disability

We support resolutions that ask companies to identify the number of employees with disabilities hired and to provide a description of any policies or programs to specifically increase that number.

ENVIRONMENT

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

We believe that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should remain off-limits to oil drilling. We support resolutions that seek to prevent oil companies from exploration and oil and gas extraction in the Arctic Refuge.

CERES Principles and Environmental Disclosure

As one of the founders of the CERES Coalition, we believe that greater corporate environmental and social disclosure helps drive better corporate performance. We support resolutions asking companies to endorse the CERES Principles, the Global Reporting Initiative, or other meaningful forms of environmental and social disclosure.

Chlorine Compounds

We support resolutions asking companies to phase out the use of chlorine and chlorine-containing compounds used as bleaching agents. We also support the phase out of PVC (polyvinyl chloride), particularly in the use of medical equipment and toys.

Climate Change

We support resolutions asking companies to take steps to reduce their emission of greenhouse gases and step up their use of renewable energy.

Environmental Liabilities

We support resolutions that ask companies to provide more information about their environmental liabilities.

Genetically Modified Foods and Agricultural Products

Until long-term testing demonstrates the safety of genetically engineered foods and agricultural products, we will support resolutions that ask companies to: phase out genetically engineered ingredients as quickly as feasible; report to shareholders on what steps would be necessary to phase out genetically engineered crops, organisms or products from their product lines; label and identify any products that may contain genetically engineered ingredients; and, suspend marketing and distributing genetically engineered agricultural products.

Nuclear Power

We support resolutions that ask companies to report on their efforts to reduce radioactive emissions and to reassess their involvement in nuclear power.

Recycling

We support resolutions asking companies to increase recycling efforts including a greater use of recycled materials in products and packaging.

Reduction and Cleanup of Toxics

We support resolutions asking companies to reduce emissions of toxic chemicals and take responsibility for their cleanup.

GLOBAL FINANCE

Debt Cancellation

We generally support resolutions that seek the cancellation of debts to the world’s poorest countries. We evaluate such proposals on a case-by-case basis.

Finance, Human Rights and the Environment

We support resolutions asking banks to incorporate environmental and human rights criteria into their screening and disclosure of lending and underwriting transactions.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Drugs: Pricing

We vote in favor of resolutions asking pharmaceutical companies to create and implement a policy of drug price restraint.

Drugs: HIV/AIDS

We support resolutions that ask drug companies to develop and implement policies to provide HIV/AIDS drug treatments that are affordable to the majority of people in developing countries.

Tobacco: Investments

We support resolutions that ask companies to end their investment in tobacco companies.

Tobacco: Production and Marketing

We support resolutions that seek to place restrictions on tobacco production and marketing as well as to limit the exposure of non-smokers to environmental tobacco smoke. We also vote in favor of resolutions that seek restrictions on tobacco marketing to minors, minorities, and women.

Tobacco: Smoke-free Restaurants

We vote in favor of resolutions that ask restaurants to make their facilities smoke-free.

LABOR RIGHTS

Sweatshops

We vote in favor of resolutions asking companies to ensure that their products are not made in sweatshops. We specifically support resolutions that ask companies to: help eradicate forced labor and child labor, promote the right of workers to form and join labor unions and to bargain collectively, seek to ensure that all workers are paid a living wage, and require that company contractors submit to independent monitoring of their factories. We generally vote in favor of resolutions in support of codes of conduct for contractors that include the criteria above.

MILITARISM AND VIOLENCE

Handgun Sales

We support resolutions that ask companies to restrict or end their handgun sales.

Handgun Manufacturing

We support resolutions that ask handgun manufacturers to report on company policies and procedures aimed at stemming gun violence.

Landmines

We support resolutions that ask companies to adopt a policy of prohibiting the production of landmines or landmine components.

Space-Based Weapons

We support resolutions asking companies to report on their involvement in the development of space-based weapons, such as the new generation of “Star Wars” anti-ballistic weapons.

Weapon Sales to Foreign Governments

We support resolutions that seek to end sales of arms to governments that abuse human rights.

POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Discontinue Soft Money Contributions

We support resolutions asking companies to end their contributions of “soft money” to political parties.

Reporting

We generally support resolutions asking for the disclosure of political contributions. However, we oppose resolutions that demand immediate media publication of political contributions.

PORNOGRAPHY

Impact of Involvement

We support resolutions asking companies to report on their involvement in the pornography industry and to assess its potential financial, legal, and public relations liabilities.

ANIMAL RIGHTS

Humane Treatment of Farm Animals

We support resolutions that ask companies to ensure that their suppliers meet basic standards for the humane treatment, transportation and slaughter of farm animals.