DIS » Topics » Accordingly, the Board recommends that you vote AGAINST this proposal, and your proxy will be voted against if the proposal is presented unless you specify otherwise.

This excerpt taken from the DIS DEF 14A filed Jan 22, 2010.

Accordingly, the Board recommends that you vote “AGAINST” this proposal, and your proxy will be voted against if the proposal is presented unless you specify otherwise.

 

 

Proposal 2–Ex-Gay Nondiscrimination Policy

Bobbie Strohbar has notified the Company that she intends to present the following proposal for consideration at the annual meeting:

WHEREAS: The Walt Disney Company does not explicitly prohibit discrimination based on ex-gay status in its sexual orientation employment policy and diversity training for employees.

Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX), a national non-profit organization defines the ex-gay community as men and women with unwanted same-sex attractions who leave homosexuality by gender affirming therapy, faith based ministries, Homosexuals Anonymous support groups, or other non-judgmental environments. Their decision is one only they can make. However, there are others in society who refuse to respect individual self-determination. Consequently, formerly gay men and women are reviled simply because they dare to exist.

PFOX has documented numerous incidents of intolerance against the ex-gay community. Ex-gays and their supporters are subject to an increasingly hostile environment because they live out or support a different view of homosexuality. They remain closeted because of other’s negative reactions or disapproval. Ex-gay employees are uncomfortable being open about their sexual orientation with their colleagues because they fear discrimination or unfair treatment in the workplace.

 

Disney has a sexual orientation policy and mandatory diversity training for employees that supports gays and bisexuals, but excludes any support for ex-gays.

In our Nation’s Capital, the Superior Court for the District of Columbia has ruled that ex-gays are a legally protected class under sexual orientation and thus protected from discrimination under the D.C. Human Rights Act.

RESOLVED: The shareholders request that Disney amend its sexual orientation policy to explicitly include the prohibition of discrimination based on ex-gay status.

SUPPORTING STATEMENT: Employee discrimination diminishes employee morale and productivity. Disney’s exclusion of ex-gays from its sexual orientation policy and program reinforces the second-class status of ex-gays, and contributes to the negative perceptions and discrimination against former homosexuals. Disney’s exclusion also disregards diversity and the basic human right to dignity and self-determination. Adding ex-gays to Disney’s sexual orientation policy and programs, which already include gays and bisexuals, will increase diversity, assure equality in the workplace, and be inexpensive for the Company to implement.

Because state and local laws differ with respect to employment discrimination, our Company would benefit from a consistent, corporate-wide policy to further enhance efforts to prevent discrimination, resolve complaints internally to avoid costly litigation or damage to its reputation, access employees from the broadest possible talent pool, and ensure a respectful and supporting atmosphere for all employees. I urge you to vote for this beneficial proposal which serves to increase diversity at minimal cost.


 

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The Walt Disney Company Notice of 2010 Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement

 

This excerpt taken from the DIS DEF 14A filed Jan 16, 2009.

Accordingly, the Board recommends that you vote “AGAINST” this proposal, and your proxy will be voted against if the proposal is presented unless you specify otherwise.

 

 

Proposal 3—Shareholder Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation

Walden Asset Management has notified the Company that it intends to present the following proposal for consideration at the annual meeting:

RESOLVED, that shareholders of The Walt Disney Company request the board of directors to adopt a policy that provides shareholders the opportunity at each annual shareholder meeting to vote on an advisory resolution, proposed by management, to ratify the compensation of the named executive officers (“NEOs”) set forth in the proxy statement’s Summary Compensation Table (the “SCT”) and the accompanying narrative disclosure of material factors provided to understand the SCT (but not the Compensation Discussion and Analysis). The proposal submitted to shareholders should make clear that the vote is non-binding and would not affect any compensation paid or awarded to any NEO.

SUPPORTING STATEMENT: Investors are increasingly concerned about mushrooming executive compensation especially when it is insufficiently linked to performance. In 2008, shareholders filed close to 100 “Say on Pay”


 

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The Walt Disney Company Notice of 2009 Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement

 

resolutions. Votes on these resolutions have averaged 43% in favor, with ten votes over 50%, demonstrating strong shareholder support for this reform.

An Advisory Vote establishes an annual referendum process for shareholders about senior executive compensation. We believe the results of this vote would provide the board and management useful information about shareholder views on the company’s senior executive compensation.

In its 2008 proxy Aflac submitted an Advisory Vote resulting in a 93% vote in favor, indicating strong investor support for good disclosure and a reasonable compensation package. Daniel Amos, Chairman and CEO said, “An advisory vote on our compensation report is a helpful avenue for our shareholders to provide feedback on our pay-for-performance compensation philosophy and pay package.”

To date eight other companies have also agreed to an Advisory Vote, including Verizon, MBIA, H&R Block, Blockbuster, and Tech Data. TIAA-CREF, the country’s largest pension fund, has successfully held an Advisory Vote twice.

Influential proxy voting service RiskMetrics Group, recommends votes in favor, noting: “RiskMetrics encourages companies to allow shareholders to express their opinions of executive compensation practices by establishing an annual referendum process. An advisory vote on executive compensation is another step forward in enhancing board accountability.”

The Council of Institutional Investors endorsed advisory votes and a bill to allow annual advisory votes passed the House of Representatives by a 2-to-1 margin. As presidential candidates, Senators Obama and McCain support the Advisory Vote.

We believe that existing U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules and stock exchange listing standards do not provide shareholders with sufficient mechanisms for providing input to boards on senior executive compensation. In contrast, in the United King-

dom, public companies allow shareholders to cast a vote on the “directors’ remuneration report,” which discloses executive compensation. Such a vote isn’t binding, but gives shareholders a clear voice that could help shape senior executive compensation.

We believe that a company that has a clearly explained compensation philosophy and metrics, reasonably links pay to performance, and communicates effectively to investors would find a management sponsored Advisory Vote a helpful tool.

We urge our board to allow shareholders to express their opinion about senior executive compensation through an Advisory Vote by instituting this governance reform.

This excerpt taken from the DIS DEF 14A filed Jan 12, 2007.

Accordingly, the Board recommends that you vote “AGAINST” this proposal, and your proxy will be so voted if the proposal is presented unless you specify otherwise.

 

  Proposal 2–Stockholder Rights Plan Bylaw Amendment

Lucian Bebchuk has advised the Company that he intends to present the following proposal for consideration at the annual meeting:

“It is hereby RESOLVED that pursuant to Section 109 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, 8 Del. C. § 109, and Article IX of the Company’s By-Laws, the Company’s By-Laws are hereby amended by adding to Article III of the Company’s By-laws as follows:

This excerpt taken from the DIS DEF 14A filed Jan 11, 2006.

Accordingly, the Board recommends that you vote “AGAINST” this proposal, and your proxy will be so voted if the proposal is presented unless you specify otherwise.

 

  Proposal 2–China Labor Standards

 

The Office of the Comptroller of New York City, as custodian and trustee for the New York Retirement Systems, has advised the Company that it intends to present the following proposal for consideration at the annual meeting:

 

“Whereas, The Walt Disney Company currently has extensive operations in China, and

 

“Whereas, in recent years, a number of independent human rights organizations based in Hong Kong have surveyed manufacturers in south China, including a number of suppliers of Disney and other major U.S. companies, and

 

“Whereas, these studies have found a number of violations of Disney’s corporate code of conduct on the part of its suppliers, as well as violations of Chinese Labor Law, and

 

“Whereas, these studies have also found that many workers surveyed at those supplier factories are unaware of the corporate codes of conduct of Disney and other U.S. companies that are supplied by their factories, and

 

“Whereas, human rights abuses in the overseas subsidiaries and suppliers of U.S. corporations can lead to negative publicity, public protests, and a loss of consumer confidence, which can have a negative impact on shareholder value,

 

“Therefore, be it resolved, that shareholders request that the Board of Directors review and report to shareholders by November 2006, on the adherence of Disney’s suppliers in China to Disney’s corporate code of conduct, to the provisions of the Chinese government’s Labor Law, and to the core conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO). This report should be prepared at reasonable expense and contain no proprietary information.”

 

“Supporting Statement: The New York City Employees’ Retirement System, the New York City Teachers’ Retirement System, and the New York City Police and Fire Department Pension Funds, believe that the adoption of this resolution will benefit the company by helping to ensure that it is not associated with human rights violations in the workplace. We urge you to vote FOR this proposal.”

 

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The Walt Disney Company Notice of 2006 Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement

 

This excerpt taken from the DIS DEF 14A filed Jan 6, 2005.

Accordingly, the Board recommends that you vote “AGAINST” this proposal, and your proxy will be so voted if the proposal is presented unless you specify otherwise.

 

Proposal 2—China Labor Standards

 

The Company has been notified that a representative of the Office of the Comptroller of New York City, as custodian and trustee for the New York Retirement Systems, intends to present the following proposal for consideration at the annual meeting:

 

“Whereas, The Walt Disney Company currently has extensive operations in China, and

 

“Whereas, human rights abuses in the overseas subsidiaries and suppliers of U.S. corporations can lead to negative publicity, public protests and a loss of consumer confidence, which can have a negative impact on shareholder value, and

 

“Whereas, the Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee has surveyed over twenty toy manufacturers in south China, including a number of suppliers of Disney and other major U.S. toy companies, and

 

“Whereas, the study found a number of violations of Disney’s corporate code of conduct on the part of its suppliers, as well as violations of Chinese Labor Law, and

 

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“Whereas, the study found that a large majority of workers surveyed at those supplier factories were unaware of the corporate codes of conduct of Disney and other U.S. toy companies that are supplied by their factories,

 

“Therefore, be it resolved, that shareholders request that the Board of Directors review and report to shareholders by September 2005, on the adherence of Disney’s suppliers in China to Disney’s corporate code of conduct, to the provisions of the Chinese government’s Labor Law, and to the core conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO). This report should be prepared at reasonable expense and contain no proprietary information.”

 

“Supporting Statement: “The New York City Employees’ Retirement System, the New York City Teachers’ Retirement System, and the New York City Police and Fire Department Pension Funds (the ‘Systems’), believe that the adoption of this resolution will benefit the company by helping to ensure that it is not associated with human rights violations in the workplace. We urge you to vote FOR this proposal.”

 

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