19 companies have amended policies in response to Pension Fund proposals

New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. announced today that three Fortune 500 companies have endorsed shareholder resolutions submitted on behalf of the New York City Employees' Retirement Fund (NYCERS) and the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) to include sexual orientation in their non-discrimination policies, bringing to 19 the number of companies that have made this change due to the City's efforts.

The companies - Waste Management, Inc. of Houston , Texas , the Southern Company of Atlanta , Georgia , and Centex Corporation of Dallas , Texas - all agreed to revise their Equal Employment Opportunity Policies to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. Accordingly, Thompson is withdrawing shareholder proposals filed with each company.

"These companies understand that on both a corporate and a human level, it makes sense to provide stronger protections for their gay and lesbian employees," Thompson said. "I am hopeful that more companies will embrace these changes, and see that it is the right and the smart thing to do."

"Equal employment opportunity is good business," said Martha E. Stark, New York City Finance Commissioner and Chair of the Boards of Trustees of NYCERS and TRS. " We commend these companies for clarifying their commitment to equal opportunity. Hiring and promoting the best workers should be our priority."

NYCERS and TRS currently hold: 1,191,235 and 611,152 shares, respectively, worth approximately $33,175,896 and $17,680,627 million, in Waste Management; 1,189,582 and 515,728 shares, respectively, in the Southern Company worth approximately $35,711,251 and 15,291,335 million; and, 112,155 and 56,475 shares, respectively, in the Centex Corporation worth approximately $7,669,728 and $5,647,500 million.

"I applaud the work of NYCERS, TRS and the Comptroller. This is good news for the Gay, Bisexual, Lesbian, and Transgender community," added Public Advocate and NYCERS Trustee Betsy Gotbaum. "At a time when presidential politicking is attempting to curb the rights of gay and lesbian Americans, I am encouraged to see that corporate America is heading in the right direction by ensuring that people are treated equally in the workplace."

"Discrimination of any kind is abhorrent to New York City employees, so I am pleased that more companies are embracing an Equal Employment Opportunity policy that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation," said Carl Haynes, President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 237. "I applaud Comptroller Thompson for his effort to ensure that New York City pension funds are being invested in companies that share Labor's values."

"Once again, New York City and Comptroller Thompson have helped to move corporate America that much closer to equal treatment of all their workers," said Kim I. Mills, education director for the Human Rights Campaign, the largest national gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender advocacy organization. "It is heartening to see these businesses making progress, even as we are fighting federal and state elected officials to deny us equal rights under the law."

Since taking office, Thompson has called on a number of Fortune 500 companies to adopt policies that specifically bar discrimination based on sexual orientation. One proposal was just filed for the fourth time, calling on ExxonMobil to amend its policy.

The following companies also have amended policies to bar discrimination based on sexual orientation due to the City's efforts: CSX; Cracker Barrel; American Electric Power; Duke Energy; Dynegy; Marathon Oil; JCPenney; Mirant; TXU Corp.; Ingram Micro; Lockheed Martin; FedEx; the El Paso Corp.; the Masco Corp.; Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company; and, the Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.

Serving with Thompson, Stark, Gotbaum and Haynes on the NYCERS board are: Borough Presidents C. Virginia Fields (Manhattan), Marty Markowitz (Brooklyn), Adolfo Carrion (Bronx), Helen Marshall (Queens), and James Molinaro (Staten Island); Lillian Roberts, Executive Director of District Council 37, AFSCME; and, Roger Toussaint, President, TWU-Local 100.

In addition to Thompson and Stark, the TRS trustees are: Kathleen Grimm, Deputy Chancellor , New York City Department of Education; Phillip Berry, Vice President, Colgate Palmolive, Inc.; and, Sandra March, Melvyn Aaronson and Mona Romain, all of the United Federation of Teachers.