The report added, “A mainstay of proxy season is the controversial subject of corporate political influence spending in elections and lobbying, and a total of 77 resolutions have been filed on the subject this year. Forty ask for more oversight and disclosure of lobbying, 34 seek the same for election spending” and the remainder deal with other issues.
A total of 52 proposals seek fair pay and equitable working conditions and are driven by the goal of reducing persistent economic inequality in the United States and addressing high profile problems with sexual harassment and violence in the workplace, the report said.
Timothy Smith, director of ESG and shareowner engagement at investment manager Boston Trust Walden, said advocacy groups are attempting to persuade large mutual funds to become more active in shareholder voting.
Smith added, “Shareholder voting is important in advancing issues that companies should care about.”
“Shareholder votes send a message to companies about key issues they should be aware of,” said Heidi Welsh, executive director of the Sustainable Investments Institute.