A shareholder proposal to amend Verizon Communications Inc.'s written equal employment policy to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity was voted down May 1, but backers of the plan say they were encouraged by the amount of support it got, and the group that proposed the resolution will bring it back next year.
Preliminary results showed that the resolution, which was opposed by the company's board of directors, won 17 percent of shareholder approval. It takes 3 percent for a proposal to come back, which it achieved. According to Alberto Canal, of Verizon media relations, more than 2 billion votes were cast. Canal said the company has 340 employees in the Bay Area.
Tim Brennan, treasurer and vice president of finance for the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, which owns 1,300 shares of stock in the company, said the proposal is part of a process of educating other shareholders, the board, and top management
"This is the first time they've seen a proposal like this," Brennan said. "I think the fact that 17 percent voted 'yes' indicates a substantial number of shareholders think this is an important issue the board should address." He said the proposal would "absolutely" be filed again.
The vote could bring some bad news for the company, though. The Human Rights Campaign likely will knock the company's Corporate Equality Index score from 85 to 70 if Verizon doesn't make any changes by late August, when HRC expects to publish its latest rankings.
"It's beyond me how a company would be such a stick in the mud for no apparent reason at all, when they have a good track record," said Daryl Herrschaft, director of HRC's Workplace Project.
"They've done a good amount of work on our issues ... and they've supported a lot of GLBT organizations, but that's why I think we're really having trouble understanding their reasoning on this one."
But, Herrschaft added, "We want to keep the dialogue open with them." He said HRC wants Verizon to do everything it can to "restore their reputation with our community."
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ART VOICE
Can You Hear Us Now? Verizon says no to trans-inclusive policy.
In 2007, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, owner of 1,300 shares of the Verizon common stock, proposed that the company add a gender identity clause to its nondiscrimination policy. A proxy statement was put before shareholders for a vote, and the shareholders who supported the proposal received this response from the Verizon Board of Directors: “The Board shares the proponent’s interest in preventing discrimination and harassment on the basis of gender identity and believes that Verizon’s strong anti-discrimination policies and strict enforcement of its zero tolerance policy make the requested amendment to those policies unnecessary. The Board of Directors recommends a vote AGAINST this proposal.”
What would make a company who ranked number one on DiversityInc’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” the past two years take a less than favorable action on a policy to included gender identity and expression in its non-dsicrimination policy? I went to the source to find out, but Verizon company spokesman Bob Varettoni only offered the same statement that the board had issued previously, with no further comment. The board’s response to the UUA proxy statement went up for vote on May 1, 2008 and was defeated.
Tim Brennan, Treasurer and Vice President of Finance Unitarian Universalist Association, said, “We believe that these policies are good for the company by helping to attract and retain qualified workers.” When asked about the motivation behind the UUA’s decision to issue a proxy statement, Brennan added, “The UUA has long been committed to the full inclusion of GBLT people in all aspects of our society. We see workplace protections as an essential part of this.”
“We view the board’s response as inadequate,” said Brennan. “Essentially, they say their practices are adequate so they don’t need a policy. But as we all know, practices are easily changed depending on who is in charge. A corporate-wide policy adopted by the board sends the strongest signal to the workforce and the wider community that the company will not tolerate this kind of discrimination.”
The UUA is not backing down from its stand on workplace discrimination. According to Brennan, “We would welcome a continuing dialogue with the company. If the policy is not instituted by next year, we plan to re-file the resolution.” Persistence seems to be the UUA’s game plan on this issue and ensuring workplace protections for transgender individuals.
What is happening at Verizon is happening at many other companies across the country: While LGBT people are united in our fight for civil rights, those rights we win are not universally applied. As a gay man, for example, I am statutorily protected from workplace discrimination; however, if I were a trans-man (born female or inter-sexed), the basis for the discrimination I suffer may not be my sexual orientation but rather my gender identity.
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