As noted by AppleInsider, in advance of the annual shareholders’ meeting, Apple investors have filed challenges that the board must address, such as the company’s stance on unions and human rights in China.
Trillium Asset Management — which “offers investment strategies and services that advance humankind towards a global sustainable economy” — has filed a union proposal, asking Apple’s board to improve its oversight of how the company’s management has handled recent unionizing. Trillium also mentioned how employees had allegedly accused Apple of intimidation tactics to deter employees from organizing.
The tech giant is accused of strong arm tactics in trying to discourage unionization efforts. And earlier this month, Apple’s unionized retail store in Towson, Maryland filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board after it was excluded from some benefits, reports Bloomberg.
In October, Apple announced plans to offer employees additional funds for education and new health care features in some states. However, unionized employees at the Towson, Maryland Apple retail store won’t receive these benefits.
Towson workers must negotiate benefits with Apple through the union. As noted by MacRumors, Apple’s head of retail, Deirdre O’Brien, warned employees about such situations in Advisory firm Institutional Meanwhile, AppleInsider notes that Shareholder Services — which “empowers shareholder services professionals to be recognized as a trusted resource to the industry, their companies and their shareholders.” — plans to consider recommending against board members at companies that fail to act on shareholder proposals that have won majority support.
Another proposal, by activist group SumOfUs, calls for Apple to create a “phaseout transition plan” to stop the company’s supply chain from using labor from Uyghur forced labor programs. Apple had also been challenged on that topic in 2021.
Several Apple suppliers may have used forced labor in China, according to a May 2021investigation by The InformationThe Information and human rights groups have found seven companies supplying device components, coatings and assembly services to Apple that are linked to alleged forced labor involving Uyghurs and other oppressed minorities in China. At least five of those companies received thousands of Uyghur and other minority workers at specific factory sites or subsidiaries that did work for Apple, the investigation found.
SumOfUs is a global non-profit advocacy organization and online community that campaigns to hold corporations accountable on issues such as climate change, workers’ rights, discrimination, human rights, animal rights, corruption, and corporate power grab.
