-- Total of 91 companies have adopted the Principles--

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New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr., on behalf of the New York City’s five Pension Funds, is urging seven U.S.-owned companies that operate subsidiaries in Northern Ireland to implement guidelines that encourage and promote a means for establishing justice and equality in the workplace.

“Employment discrimination in Northern Ireland has historically been one of the major causes of sectarian divisions, and the New York City Pension Funds helped create the MacBride Principles to ensure that all workers are treated fairly,” Thompson said. “Our Funds are committed to supporting the Northern Ireland peace process in every way possible. One important way of doing that is to continue to ensure that companies in our portfolio uphold the highest standards of equality and diversity in their workforce.”

The proposals are sponsored by the New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS), Teachers’ Retirement System for the City of New York (TRS), New York City Police Pension Fund, New York City Fire Department Pension Fund and the New York City Board of Education Retirement System (BERS).

"The fight for equal opportunity in Northern Ireland is far from over. While there is finally a working peace which gives hope for economic and social growth, corporate adherence to the MacBride Principles will further ensure that equal treatment to all employees is preserved,” said Public Advocate Gotbaum, who is a NYCERS trustee. “I am proud of the part New York City has played in implementing these principles over the last twenty years, and believe that by accepting these proposals, shareholders around the world will see financial vitality and stability of their investments.”

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, a NYCERS trustee, said: “Ever since public pension funds' divestment helped bring down South Africa's system of apartheid and thus expand fair market opportunities, we have seen that our fiduciary responsibility includes investing in ways that fight discrimination in the workplace and otherwise help to mend the social fabric in ways that improve corporate and worker well-being. As the latest permutation of that strategy, I wholeheartedly join my fellow trustees in calling for adoption of these important anti-discrimination guidelines by US companies doing business in Northern Ireland."

The Funds submitted proposals to: BE Aerospace of Wellington, FL; Borland Software of Austin, TX; Crane Company of Stamford, CT; Domino’s Pizza of Ann Arbor, MI; Manpower, Inc. of Milwaukee, WI; TJX Companies of Farmingham, MA; and, Yum Brands of Louisville, KY.

Collectively the New York City Pension Funds hold more than 4.5 million shares in these companies, worth more than $118 million. The breakdown is as follows: 334,142 shares in BE Aerospace valued at $14,702,248; 431,613 shares in Borland Software valued at $1,169,671; 169,940 shares in Crane Company valued at $6,578,377; 12,900 shares in Domino Pizza valued at $162,024; 281,488 shares in Manpower Inc. valued at $14,719,007; 1,320,102 in TJX Companies, Inc. valued at $37,622,907; and, 1,113,556 in Yum Brands valued at $43,183,701.

“Recent advancements towards peace in Northern Ireland have created attractive opportunities for investment,” Thompson added. “It is critical that companies operating in this region treat workers equitably and provide stable working environments for employees. A diverse and highly-trained workforce is vital to ensuring a company’s long-term investment viability.”

The MacBride Principles were proposed in 1984 by late Irish statesman, Nobel Peace laureate, and founder of Amnesty International, Sean MacBride and several associates to serve as guidelines for corporations in Northern Ireland. The nine Principles call for:

• increasing the representation of individuals from underrepresented religious groups in the workforce, including managerial, supervisory, administrative, clerical and technical jobs;
  
  
• ensuring adequate security for the protection of minority employees in the workplace and while traveling to and from work;
  
  
• banning of provocative religious or political emblems in the workplace;
  
  
• publicly advertising job openings and recruitment efforts to attract applicants from underrepresented religious backgrounds;
  
  
• adhering to fair practices in layoff and termination procedures and not favoring certain religious groups;
  
  
• abolishing any job reservations, apprenticeship restrictions and differential employment criteria that discriminate on the basis of religion or ethnic origin;
  
  
• developing job training programs for current minority employees for skilled jobs, including the expansion of existing programs and the creation of new ones to train, upgrade and improve the skills of minority employees;
  
  
• establishing procedures to assess, identify and actively recruit minority employees with potential for further advancement; and,
  
  
• appointing senior management staff to oversee the company’s affirmative action efforts to set up timetables to carry out affirmative action principles.

The resolutions request that the companies “make all possible lawful efforts to implement and/or increase activity on each of the nine MacBride Principles.”

“Implementation of the MacBride Principles by these companies will demonstrate their concern for human rights and equality of opportunity in international operations,” Thompson added.

In 2007, three companies – Baker Hughes, Wal-Mart Stores, and Seagate Technology – agreed to implement the MacBride Principles and to allow for independent monitoring of their compliance.

To date, a total of 91 companies have agreed to adopt the MacBride Principles.

The New York City Pension Funds, which have been involved in this issue since the 1980s, have been at the fore of shareholder activism in pressuring many of America’s largest companies to improve workplace conditions, protect the environment, promote human rights abroad, and adhere to accepted corporate governance standards. Besides Thompson, the Pension Funds’ trustees are:

NYCERS: New York City Finance Commissioner Martha E. Stark (Chair); New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum; Borough Presidents Scott Stringer (Manhattan), Helen Marshall (Queens), Marty Markowitz (Brooklyn), Adolfo Carrion (Bronx), and James Molinaro (Staten Island); Lillian Roberts, Executive Director, District Council 37, AFSCME; Roger Toussaint, President Transport Workers Union Local 100; and Gregory Floyd, President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 237.

TRS: New York City Finance Commissioner Martha E. Stark (Chair); Deputy Chancellor Kathleen Grimm, New York City Department of Education; and Sandra March, Melvyn Aaronson and Mona Romain, all of the United Federation of Teachers.

Police Pension Fund: Mayor Michael Bloomberg; New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly (Chair); New York City Finance Commissioner Martha E. Stark; Patrick Lynch, Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association; Michael Palladino, Detectives Endowment Association; Edward D. Mullins, Sergeants Benevolent Association; Thomas Drogan, Lieutenants Benevolent Association; and, Roy T. Richter, Captains Endowment Association.

Fire Department Pension Fund: Mayor Michael Bloomberg; New York City Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta (Chair); New York City Finance Commissioner Martha E. Stark; Stephen Cassidy, President, James Slevin, Vice President, Robert Straub, Treasurer, and John Kelly, Brooklyn Representative and Chair, Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York; Michael Currid, Captains’ Rep., John J. McDonnell, Chiefs’ Rep., and Stephen J. Carbone, Lieutenants’ Rep., Uniformed Fire Officers Association; and, Joseph Gagliardi, Marine Engineers Association.

BERS: mayoral appointees Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, Alan Aviles, Philip Berry, David Chang, Tino Hernandez, Edison O. Jackson, Richard Menschel and Marita Regan; Luis Peguero (Bronx), Patrick Sullivan (Manhattan), Wendy Gilgeous (Brooklyn), and Joan Correale (Staten Island); and employee members Joseph D'Amico of the IUOE Local 891 member and Milagros Rodriguez of District Council 37, Local 372.

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