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New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr., on behalf of the five New York City pension funds, is urging 13 companies to adopt workplace human rights policies.

The workplace rights include the following principles: banning child labor; allowing all workers to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively; prohibiting discrimination of worker representatives; barring discrimination or intimidation in employment; and, not using forced labor, including bonded or prison labor.

The shareholder proposals were recently filed on behalf of the New York City Employees' Retirement System (NYCERS), Teachers' Retirement System (TRS), New York City Police Pension Fund, New York City Fire Department Pension Fund and Board of Education Retirement System (BERS).

“We are calling on these corporations to respect workers' basic human rights,” Thompson said. “In this day and age, it's disturbing that we need to put forward a shareholder proposal seeking decent working conditions.”

“Issues such as child labor and the right to form and join a union have long been regulated in this country. There is no reason why these U.S. based companies should not implement the same basic human rights in their overseas operations. In fact, refusing to adopt these principles allows for reputational risk and potential losses for investors.”

" U.S. companies operating globally should make uniform how they treat their employees,” said NYCERS Trustee and New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum. “It is unconscionable for a company that prohibits discrimination and child labor in the U.S. , to permit it abroad.  It is a bad policy for workers and will ultimately impact negatively on shareholder value."

The policies are based on the conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO) on workplace human rights and the United Nation's Norms on the Responsibility of Transnational Corporations with regard to Human Rights (“UN Norms”).

The proposals ask companies to commit to the implementation of a code of conduct that adopts the principles outlined by the ILO and the UN Norms and commit to independent compliance of these principles.

The proposals were submitted for the first-time to: Best Buy Co., Inc. of Richfield, MN, in which the systems own more than 1 million shares worth $56.9 million; Kimberly Clark of Dallas, TX, in which the systems own 1.6 million shares worth $109 million; Maytag Corporation of Newton, IA, in which the systems own 248,663 shares worth $3.7 million ; Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. of Union, NJ, in which the systems own more than 1 million shares worth $40.9 million; E.I. du Pont De Nemours and Company of Wilmington, DE, in which the systems own 3.2 million shares worth $163.9 million; C.R. Bard, Inc. of Murray Hill, NJ, in which the systems own 359,885 shares worth $24.8 million; Cooper Industries, Ltd. of Houston, TX, in which the systems own 74,805 shares worth $5.2 million; Fluor Corporation of Aliso Viejo, CA, in which the systems own 276,507 shares worth $16.8 million; and, Primus Telecommunications Group, Inc. of McLean, VA, in which the systems own 299,287 shares worth $604,559.

Additionally, proposals were resubmitted again this proxy season to: Dillard's, Inc. of Little Rock, AR, in which the systems own 217,887 shares worth $5.4 million; Hasbro, Inc. of Pawtucket, RI, in which the systems own 1.2 million shares worth $24.5 million; and the TJX Companies, Inc. of Framingham, MA, in which the systems own 1. 6 million shares worth $42 million .

Further, NYCERS resubmitted a resolution to VF Corporation of Greensboro , NC , in which the systems own 356,759 shares worth $21.5 million. Consequently, VF's Board of Directors agreed to mandate a review of the enforcement of its global labor standards for suppliers and to issue a public report on the findings of that review.

The trustees of the city's five pension boards are:

New York City Fire Department Pension Fund: Comptroller Thompson, 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; Peter Gorman, President and Captains' Rep., Nicholas J. Visconti, Chiefs' Rep., and Stephen J. Carbone, Lieutenants' Rep., Uniformed Fire Officers Association; and, Joseph Gagliardi, Marine Engineers Association.

New York City Police Pension Fund: Comptroller Thompson; Mayor Bloomberg; Commissioner Stark; New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly (Chair); Patrick Lynch, Patrolmen's Benevolent Association; Michael Palladino, Detectives Endowment Association; Edwin Mullins, Sergeants Benevolent Association; Anthony Garvey, Lieutenants Benevolent Association; and, John Driscoll, Captains Endowment Association.

NYCERS: Comptroller Thompson; Commissioner Stark (Chair); New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum; Borough Presidents C. Virginia Fields (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, Carroll (Carl) Haynes, President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 237.

TRS: Comptroller Thompson; Commissioner 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.

BERS: Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, Alan Aviles, Phillip Berry, David Chang, Tino Hernandez, Augusta Souza Kappner, Richard Menschel and Marita Regan; Borough President appointees Jesse Mojica (Bronx), Martine G. Guerrier (Brooklyn), Jacquelyn Kamin (Manhattan), Michael Flowers (Queens) and Joan Correale (Staten Island); and employee members Thomas J. Malanga, International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 891, and Milagros Rodriguez of District Council 37, Local 372.