Google employees, Alphabet shareholders push for accountability

Mountain View, CA, May 16, 2019: Ahead of Google’s annual shareholder meeting on June 19, Google employees, shareholders, and community stakeholders today launched a joint effort to push for corporate accountability on major concerns regarding harassment and discrimination, human rights, corporate governance, and diversity and inclusion. This year, a record number of shareholders of Google’s parent company Alphabet have filed proposals concerning working conditions and ethics as Googlers brought these issues to light. Google employees and shareholders are urging shareholders to support critical shareholder resolutions, including: Proposal #5: A proposal to ban forced non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in harassment and discrimination cases and put an end to non-compete pacts (NYC Comptroller Scott M. Stringer’s Office on behalf of four City Pension Funds). Proposal #13: A proposal to tie senior executive compensation to sustainability and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) metrics, including the impact of Google’s real estate development on neighboring communities (Zevin Asset Management). Pg. 80 of Proxy Statement Proposal #15: A proposal to allow the recovery of senior executive compensation in the event of misconduct or failing to properly manage or monitor conduct (Service Employees International Union) Pg. 84 of Proxy Statement Proposal #11: A proposal for a non-executive employee

May 16, 2019 No Comments

Shareholders tell Google to rethink China search product

Shareholders tell Google to rethink China search product and prioritize human rights (Falls Church, Va., Feb. 27, 2019) — A coalition of Google shareholders has filed a resolution asking the company to publish a human rights impact assessment for a controversial censored search product — called “Dragonfly” — that Google is reportedly developing for use in China. Led by Azzad Asset Management, the shareholders are concerned that Google’s compliance with China’s repressive laws would facilitate and legitimize surveillance and censorship, posing serious human rights risks. The shareholders’ call to action at Google is timely given recent reports that Google is already censoring its search product in Russia, blacklisting websites according to government instructions. India’s government is considering new rules that could again implicate Google in censorship. Open MIC, a non-profit that fosters shareholder engagement at leading tech and media companies, developed the proposal alongside lead filer Azzad, a socially responsible investment firm based in Virginia. The group of filers includes institutional and individual investors representing over $3 billion in assets under management. In submitting the resolution, shareholders are asking Google to demonstrate that the company’s stated ethical codes, values, and policies are truly informing all its products in the global

February 27, 2019 No Comments

Azzad asks Alphabet to adopt Holy Land Principles

Falls Church, Va., 1/5/16 – Azzad Asset Management and a nonprofit organization focused on workers’ rights have filed shareholder resolutions with Alphabet (formerly Google), calling on the company to implement fair hiring practices with respect to the Arab Palestinian population working at its offices in Israel. Azzad co-filed in support of the lead filer, The Holy Land Principles, Inc., which was founded by Father Sean McManus, an activist who opposed British discrimination against Catholics in Northern Ireland in the 1980s. The Holy Land Principles are inspired by The MacBride Principles, which Fr. McManus used to advocate for fair employment in Northern Ireland. They eventually became the congressional standard for economic dealings with Northern Ireland and were adopted by dozens of U.S. cities, companies, and institutions. The shareholder proposal submitted to Alphabet is intended to guard against the unequal treatment of workers in Israel-Palestine. Alphabet is one of 546 U.S. companies operating in Israel. Filing the shareholder resolution is not intended as an indictment of the firm’s current employment practices. It reads in part: ” that Alphabet benefits by hiring from the widest available talent pool. An employee’s ability to do the job should be the primary consideration in hiring and promotion

January 5, 2017 No Comments