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Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr., on behalf of the New York City Pension Funds, is asking six U.S.-owned companies that operate subsidiaries in Northern Ireland to implement the MacBride Principles, a set of guidelines designed to establish justice and equality in the workplace.

“The Funds have been very successful in urging companies to adopt the MacBride Principles in the past. However, there is still much more work to be done,” Thompson said. “It is critical that we vigorously encourage companies to adopt policies that promote tolerance and support diversity in the workplace.”

Since 1989, more than two-thirds of U.S.-based companies operating in Northern Ireland in the City’s portfolio have adopted and complied with the Principles at the Pension Funds’ request.

The MacBride Principles were promulgated in 1984 by the 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 to ensure fair employment standards and foster a diverse 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).

This season’s targeted companies are: BE Aerospace of Wellington, FL; Berkshire Hathaway of Omaha, NE; Claire’s Stores of Hoffman Estates, IL; Crane Company of Stamford, CT; Manpower, Inc. of Milwaukee, WI; and, Yum Brands of Louisville, KY.

Collectively, the Funds have more than $100.9 million invested in the companies.

The nine principles are aimed at:

• • 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 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.

Last year, at the request of the Pension Funds, Alberto Culver of Melrose Park, IL, agreed to urge franchise holders in Northern Ireland to implement the Principles and adhere to fair employment standards to foster a diverse workforce. In 2004, three companies - Coca Cola, Exxon and Marriott International - with total investments worth more than $1.4 billion in the Funds, agreed to implement the Principles.

Besides Thompson, the Pension Funds trustees are:

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; 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.

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; Edwin Mullins, Sergeants Benevolent Association; Anthony Garvey, Lieutenants Benevolent Association; and, John Driscoll, Captains Endowment Association.

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, Carroll (Carl) Haynes, 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.

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

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