-- Total of 93 companies have adopted the Principles as a result of
NYC Pension Fund shareholder proposals --

On behalf of the New York City Pension Funds, Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. today announced that pharmaceutical company Warner Chilcott has agreed to adopt the MacBride Principles – a set of guidelines to establish justice and equality in the workplace – for company operations in Northern Ireland.

“The Pension Funds helped create the MacBride Principles to ensure that all workers are treated fairly,” Thompson said. “Employment discrimination in Northern Ireland has historically been one of the major causes of sectarian divisions, and we are committed to supporting the Northern Ireland peace process in every way possible. I applaud Warner Chilcott for joining us in this effort.”

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).

Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum said, "In recent times, we have witnessed an amazing transformation in Northern Ireland towards peace and prosperity. While this progress gives hope for economic and social growth, corporate adherence to the MacBride Principles will further ensure that equal treatment to all employees is preserved. Today, Warner Chilcott has recognized the importance of the MacBride principles as well as the benefits they will confer to employees and to the firm's future."

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall said, “I thank the Comptroller for helping NYCERS and the other City pension funds to use their influence to promote justice and equality in the workplace, both domestically and abroad. NYCERS and the other City pension systems represent hundreds of thousands of workers, and it is therefore appropriate that we do what we can to improve conditions for workers all over the world.”

The Funds submitted MacBride Principles shareholder proposals to three other companies this year: Conexant Systems of Newport Beach, CA; Crane Company of Stamford, CT; and Manpower, Inc. of Milwaukee, WI.

Collectively the New York City Pension Funds hold considerable shares worth millions of dollars in these companies.

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.

“Recent advancements towards peace in Northern Ireland have created attractive opportunities for American businesses to operate there,” Thompson said. “Implementation of the MacBride Principles demonstrates a company’s dedication to social justice and equality of opportunity in international operations.”

To date, a total of 93 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 (chairs in bold) 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), James Molinaro (Staten Island), and Acting Borough President Earl D. Brown (Bronx); 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 Finance Commissioner Martha E. Stark; New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly (Chair); Patrick Lynch, Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association; Michael Palladino, Detectives Endowment Association; Edward D. Mullins, Sergeants Benevolent Association; Thomas Sullivan, 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; John Dunne, Captains’ Rep.; John J. McDonnell , Chiefs’ Rep., and James J. McGowan, Lieutenants’ Rep., Uniformed Fire Officers Association; and, Joseph Gagliardi, Marine Engineers Association.

BERS: mayoral appointees Schools Chancellor Joel Klein (Designee, Kathleen Grimm, serves as co-chair), Alan Aviles, Philip Berry, David Chang, Tino Hernandez, Edison O. Jackson, Richard Menschel and Marita Regan; Patrick Sullivan (Manhattan), Wendy Gilgeous (Brooklyn), Joan Correale (Staten Island); and Dmytro Fedkowskyj (Queens); and employee members Joseph D'Amico of the IUOE Local 891 and Milagros Rodriguez of District Council 37, Local 372 (serves as co-chair).

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