An Offer You Cannot Refuse - Support the Teamster School Bus drivers

Bit last minute, but UNISON Transport Executive agrees to support the UNISON Capital Stewardship Forum efforts to ask our funds to vote in favour of a motion sponsored by UNITE (TGWU) and US trade union funds on Thursday 12 July 2007.

On Thursday there is the First Group plc annual shareholder conference in Aberdeen. There is a resolution at this conference moved by socially responsible investment funds Domini Social Investments and the Calvert Group, together with 142 Unite (TGWU) members at First Group and 2 other trade union pension funds. They filed the resolution in light of ongoing labour relations concerns, particularly at First Student, Inc., the company’s U.S. subsidiary. At last year’s Annual General Meeting, First Group admitted to anti-union acts. The Board then urged a vote against the shareholder proposal stating that the company was committed to “stamping out anti-union behaviour in the U.S.” and enforcing its own policy of neutrality toward unions.

Despite this commitment, the company has failed to protect workers from intimidation and harassment by U.S. manager’s intent on thwarting workers’ efforts to join a union, as documented in a recent report by three labour rights experts.

Support for the human rights resolution at First Group, plc is critical to protect the interests of investors as First Group expands operations throughout North America and takes on greater operational and financial risk.

Many LGPS funds will invest in First Group. Please let your money managers know that you will be carefully monitoring their vote on Resolution 15 at First Group. The proponents believe that supporting this proposal will send a clear message to management that reducing labour risks and grievances is vital to First Group’s long-term success and sustainability. They urge investors to vote for Resolution 15.

If you can, please write to your fund managers (via your investment committee Chair?) asking them to support Resolution 15 at this AGM. If it is too late then make sure that during the next investment panel meeting you will be questioning the fund managers on how and why they voted on this issue.