New York (BBN)-New York City comptroller Scott Stringer is continuing his fight to improve worker safety rights, despite a failed attempt to get a shareholder proposal passed on the Bangladesh accord at Ralph Lauren Corp.’s annual meeting last month.
Stringer said Sunday night at the Nanette Lepore show about the proposal: “This was going to be part of our work to strengthen our pension fund.... It was quite shocking that the Ralph Lauren board made no attempt to act-in-concert with the other major companies acting together for the safety of workers.”
Stringer, who seconded the shareholder proposal, is trustee of the city’s five public pension funds, which in total own 147,321 Ralph Lauren shares.
Stringer said he went personally before the Ralph Lauren board of directors to meet and press his case, reports wwd.com.
He’s not exiting his investment nor will be stop fighting for the cause.
“We will stay and fight.... The more we stay invested the better to create reform. Whether it was when I was borough president or now as comptroller, the fashion industry is critical to the New York economy, not just during Fashion Week, but also the rest of the year.... For New York to do well, we must do well in many different sectors. That’s why people come here to work,” he said.
BBN/JF-10Sept14-2:10pm (BST)