The New York City Retirement System and New York State Common Retirement Fund have filed proposals targeting four major U.S. employers in a call to respect the rights of workers.
In a February 7 press release, State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced the filing of proposals calling for CVS Pharmacy and Walmart to report on their adherence to their commitment to workers’ freedom of association and collective bargaining rights as contained in their respective human rights policies., The alliance has also filed proposals calling for Netflix and DoorDash to adopt noninterference policies to uphold workers’ freedom of association and collective bargaining rights.
In a statement, City Comptroller Brad Lander said, “Respecting workers’ rights to organize – and not interfering when they do – should be the standard expected of any responsible employer. Aggressive anti-union practices that spill into the press, violate labor laws, or contradict a company’s own policies can pose reputational and financial risks for businesses.”
The New York City Retirement Systems group is also engaged in similar workers’ rights advocacy at Starbucks with demands for an assessment of the company’s labor practices and Apple, where it has reached an agreement to conduct a third-party assessment on its response to worker organizing.