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City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. today announced that Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. has agreed to a New York City Pension Funds proposal urging it to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

“Equal treatment and workplace protection of all employees is a fundamental principle of good corporate social responsibility,” Thompson said. “By integrating sound socially responsible policies and practices into their business strategy and operations, companies contribute to the creation of long-term value and sustainable business development.”

Cleveland-Cliffs of Cleveland, Ohio, notified the Comptroller that it will amend its Equal Employment Opportunity Policy to add “the Company does not tolerate discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation of gender identity.” Cleveland-Cliffs stated in a letter to the Comptrollers Office, “If this amendment to our Equal Opportunity Policy is acceptable we will immediately implement this change.”
 
As a result of the change, Thompson has withdrawn a resolution filed late last year on behalf of the New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS), New York City Police Department Pension Fund, New York City Fire Department Pension Fund, New York City Teachers' Retirement System, (TRS) and New York City Board of Education Retirement System.

Cleveland-Cliffs, the producer and merchant of iron ore and other metallics containing iron products, and its associated companies employ approximately 4,000 people at operations located in Michigan, Minnesota, Canada and corporate headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. The New York City Pension Funds have more than 141,536 shares with a current market share of $6,856,003 in Cleveland Cliffs.

This is the latest successful resolution filed by the City’s Pension Funds. Three weeks ago, Thompson announced that First Horizon Corporation reported that it would amend its Code of Business Conduct and Ethics to bar discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

To date, the Comptroller’s Office and Pension Funds successfully have urged about three dozen Fortune 1000 companies to bar discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.

In addition to Thompson, the trustees for the Pension Funds 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, 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.

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 Assoc.

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 Assoc.

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 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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