Committee on Workers' Capital

Successful wrap up to week of events in Barcelona

Hugues Letourneau — 2022-12-08T20:52:10Z

On November 28-29th, the CWC convened more than 100 worker-nominated trustees and trade unions from over 15 countries in Barcelona, Spain, to engage with asset managers, the PRI and to elevate the profile of freedom of association in the investment chain. This was the first global in-person gathering of the CWC since the 2019 Paris Conference.

On Monday November 28th, the CWC Secretariat organised a Spanish trustee roundtable jointly with CCOO and UGT where it convened two Spanish asset managers, Caixa AM and Banco Sabadell, to discuss how the managers fare in relation to the Baseline Expectations for Asset Managers on Fundamental Labour Rights. The 2022 Conference kicked off on the afternoon of November 28th when a dialogue was held with the CEO of PRI, David Atkin. At that event, the CWC reiterated its desire for the PRI to maintain clarity on its mandate as an asset owner led organisation, at a time when asset manager membership has eclipsed asset owner count. The Conference keynote speech was delivered by the Chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board, Emmanuel Faber, who welcomed the engagement of the CWC with the ISSB and who hinted to the integration of the “S” using the TCFD template. Day 1 concluded with a discussion on trustee leadership with perspectives from Denmark, South Africa, Australia, and the Netherlands.

Day 2 kickstarted with a progress report on the asset manager accountability initiative, moved to examples of the just transition to a low carbon economy and ended with the launch of the CWC report “Shared Prosperity: The Investor Case for Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining ”. The Asset Manager Accountability panel illustrated the CWC's theory of change, with examples of trade union rights violations in Turkey being brought to the attention of asset owners and with asset owners engaging with their asset managers so that those managers could use their influence and drive positive outcomes for workers on the ground. Tools used in private markets to uphold labour rights, including labour rights charters (e.g., IFM in Australia) and responsible contractor policies (e.g., CalSTRS) were discussed. Case studies of the just transition to a low carbon economy were presented by Spanish and Australian participants. Tripartite collaboration between trade unions, employers and governments underpins the good practice in Spain; investors can add value to this process by encouraging investee companies to engage in tripartite collaboration in good faith.

The CWC had strong visibility at PRI in Person, held from November 30th- Dec 2nd, thanks to the participation of UNI Global's Lisa Nathan on the plenary on human rights and to the side event to launch the new CWC publication on Freedom of Association. The side event, opened by PRI CEO David Atkin, featured a worker from an Amazon fulfilment centre, representatives from Danone, Columbia Threadneedle and UNI Global Union. It was delivered to a full room comprised of PRI in Person asset manager and asset owner delegates.

Christoffer Jonsson, the CWC chair, closed the CWC Conference by committing to stepping up strategic communications in the new year so that the Committee could increase its profile.

Shared Prosperity: The Investor Case for Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

Tamara Herman — 2022-11-29T15:59:00Z

This brief explains why respect for the fundamental labour rights of collective bargaining and freedom of association is important to investors.

For information on the PRI in Person Side event, click here.

When workers come together in a trade union, they can effect meaningful changes in their compensation and working conditions, bringing valuable benefits to themselves and their companies and contributing to broader societal goals of economic growth, income and wealth equality, equity and inclusion. As these benefits and contributions are of interest to investors, this brief outlines how they can meet their responsibilities to protect workers' fundamental labour rights.

Read the full report here

cwc_foa_cb_report.pdf

Read the Executive Summary here

cwc_foa_cb_report_executive_summary.pdf

Join us at the 2022 CWC Conference in Barcelona, Spain on November 28-29

Hugues Letourneau — 2022-10-26T14:35:21Z

From November 28-29, the Global Unions' Committee on Workers' Capital will be holding its annual conference, in person, in Barcelona, Spain. The conference is the premier forum for international collaboration and dialogue between trade unions and pension fund trustees to effect change in the global economy through the responsible investment of workers' capital.

REGISTRATION

The 2022 Workers' Capital Conference conference will be held in Barcelona, Spain in the Auditorium of the Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras - Catalunya over two days:

Monday November 28th
Tuesday November 29th

The CWC Networking Dinner will be held on Sunday November 27th

AGENDA

Session topics for this year's conference will include current challenges and opportunities from trustees around the world, strategies to hold asset managers accountable on fundamental labour rights in investments, the impact of sustainable finance policy developments on pension trustees and trade unions.

See the latest virtual conference draft agenda

KEYNOTE

Emmanuel Faber, the Chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) will give the keynote address at the CWC 2022 Workers' Capital Conference on Monday, November 28th.

Learn more

HOTELS

Conference participants are responsible for arranging their own hotel bookings. For your convenience, we have compiled a short list of recommended hotels within easy travel distance of the CWC venue.

OTHER INFORMATION

We encourage you to share this 1-one page flyer with peers to drive turnout to the CWC Conference.

The CWC Conference precedes the PRI in Person conference. Registrants to the CWC Conference may be eligible for a discounted entry to the PRI in Person.

If you have any questions about the CWC Conference or are interested in discounted entry to the PRI in Person, please contact zdeshpande@share.ca

PRI in Person Side-Event - "Shared Prosperity: The Investor Case for Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining"

Hugues Letourneau — 2022-10-18T21:06:55Z

Friday, December 2, 2022 | 7:45 am - 9:00 am
Barcelona, Spain | CCIB – Barcelona International Conference Centre, Room 118-119 Level P1

The Global Unions' Committee on Workers' Capital (CWC) invites PRI in Person attendees to a briefing session on its new report, “Shared Prosperity: The Investor Case for Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining.”

PRI in Person attendees are encouraged to pre-register here

ABOUT THE EVENT

Opening remarks:

David Atkin, CEO, PRI
Brandon Rees, Deputy Director of Corporations and Capital Markets, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)

Report summary

Lisa Nathan, Senior Investor Engagement Advisor, UNI Global Union

Respondent panel

Isaiah Thomas, US Amazon Worker
Sylvain Lobry, VP Social Dialogue & Social Fundamentals, Danone
Nina Roth, Head of Active Ownership, Columbia Threadneedle Investments

Moderator

Tamara Herman, Global Unions' Committee on Workers' Capital (CWC)

Read the report here

The rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining are fundamental human rights. Around the world, employers compromise these rights by taking measures to prevent, prohibit or interfere with workers' efforts to join a union and negotiate the terms and conditions of their employment. Such labour rights violations present material risks for investors. Simultaneously, there is a strong business case for respecting fundamental labour rights.

The session will begin with a presentation of the CWC report, describing the value created when workers exercise their labour rights, including improved corporate human rights due diligence, positive contributions to corporate performance in areas such as health and safety, retention, productivity, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the mitigation of systemic risks associated with inequality and weak economic growth. Then, a frontline worker will share their experience, illuminating the impact of worker organization on employees and firms. Next, a company representative will provide an issuer's perspective on how their company respects and implements labour rights. Finally, an investor will offer an asset owner view of their engagements with portfolio companies on labour rights. Attendees will come away with both the foundation and tools for engaging portfolio companies regarding the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

PRE-REGISTER TODAY

Pre-registration for this event is recommended but not required. Please fill out this form to confirm your attendance and receive an advance copy of 'Shared Prosperity: The Investor Case for Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining.'

Pre-register here

Please note that this event is for PRI in Person registrants only. If you are interested in attending this event in Barcelona but are not registered for the PRI in Person, please contact zdeshpande@share.ca.

Launch Event - Shared Prosperity: The Investor Case for Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

Hugues Letourneau — 2022-10-06T20:50:58Z

The CWC is pleased to invite you to the launch event for its new report, Shared Prosperity: The Investor Case for Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining. The launch event will take place online via Zoom and in-person during the CWC Conference in Barcelona.

WEBINAR on Tuesday, November 29th, 2022
3:15pm - 4:45pm CEST | 9:15am - 10:45am EST | 6:15am - 7:45am PST

A respondent panel featuring workers, a company representative, an asset manager and an asset owner board member will discuss the report findings and recommendations in the context of their own experiences. Attendees will come away with both the foundation and tools for engaging portfolio companies regarding the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Panelists:

Sylvain Lobry, VP Social Dialogue & Social Fundamentals, Danone
Lisa Hayles, Director, International Shareholder Advocacy, Trillium
Robert Potter, Trustee, CARE Super
Sindy Tatiana Sosa, Amazon Worker, Spain
Isaiah Thomas, Amazon Worker, US
Lisa Nathan, Senior Investor Engagement Advisor, UNI Global Union

Moderator:
Tamara Herman, Program Manager, Global Unions' Committee on Workers' Capital

Note: Investors that wish to join the launch event in-person at the CWC 2022 Conference in Barcelona can write to zdeshpande@share.ca.

Hotel information: 2022 Workers' Capital Conference

Hugues Letourneau — 2022-09-28T18:28:27Z

On November 28 and 29, the Global Unions' Committee on Workers' Capital will be holding its annual conference, in person, in Barcelona, Spain. This year's conference will take place in the Auditorium of the Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras - Catalunya (Via Laietana, 16, 08003 Barcelona, Spain). Please continue to check here for up-to-date travel and event information.

HOTELS

Conference participants are responsible for arranging their own hotel bookings. For your convenience, we have compiled a short list of recommended hotels within easy travel distance of the CWC venue.

Please note that all our recommended hotels are listed as socially responsible union hotels on the Fair Hotel website. We encourage travelers booking their accommodations to consult www.fairhotel.org in making their hotel selection.

The CWC Conference precedes the PRI in Person conference. For those who are interested in attending both events, we have included distances to the PRI in Person venue.

Hotel Barceló Raval
The Hotel Barceló Raval is located approximately 15 minutes by public transit from the conference site. The hotel is approximately a 35-45 minute commute by public transit from the PRI in person conference site.

Hotel Occidental Atenea Mar
The Hotel Occidental Atenea Mar is located approximately 15 minutes by public transit from the conference site. The hotel is approximately a 12 minute commute by public transit from the PRI in person conference site.

Hotel Barceló Sants
The Hotel Barceló Sants is located approximately 20-30 minutes by public transit from the conference site. The hotel is approximately a 35-45 minute commute by public transit from the PRI in person conference site.

If you have any questions about travel and event information or other queries regarding the CWC Conference, please contact zdeshpande@share.ca

Return to the CWC Conference Main Page

Registration: 2022 Workers' Capital Conference

Hugues Letourneau — 2022-08-17T22:05:30Z

On Nov. 28 and 29, the Global Unions' Committee on Workers' Capital will be holding its annual conference, in person, in Barcelona, Spain.

The global convening of pension funds trustees, trade union representatives and other stakeholders will take place in the Auditorium of the Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras - Catalunya (Via Laietana, 16, 08003 Barcelona, Spain).

For the first time in three years, you will have an opportunity to meet in person with your global peers to advance the responsible investment of workers' capital, develop capital strategies on trade union priorities and meet with global asset managers to drive accountability.

REGISTRATIONS
Register here for the CWC Conference.

Return to the CWC Conference Main Page

Global Trade Unions Release Baseline Expectations for Asset Managers on Fundamental Labour Rights

Shalini Ramgoolam — 2022-07-12T13:30:00Z

The Global Unions' Committee on Workers' Capital (CWC) has released its Baseline Expectations for Asset Managers on Fundamental Labour Rights (“CWC Baseline Expectations”). Developed by trade unions and pension fund board members as part of the Asset Manager Accountability Initiative, the CWC Baseline Expectations will help asset owners hold the asset managers they contract accountable on fundamental labour rights.

Global asset managers invest capital on behalf of workers' retirement savings funds. Pension fund trustees who sit on the boards of these funds and participate in the CWC network expect that their managers will uphold their responsibilities to mitigate adverse labour rights impacts in their investments. Likewise, other types of asset owner vehicles, including foundations and religious investors, also have growing expectations of their managers.

“Global asset managers can hold sizeable stakes in public and private market investments where fundamental labour rights, such as the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining, are violated” said Paddy Crumlin, President of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) and vice-president of the CWC. “Asset owners can now use the Baseline Expectations to drive actions by asset managers to use their influence and ultimately drive impact on the ground for workers whose rights are violated”.

The CWC Baseline Expectations progress from “baseline” into “good practices” and are divided in four categories from which to assess an asset manager's level of commitment to respecting and upholding fundamental labour rights:

Stewardship framework;
Stewardship practices in public equities (proxy voting and shareholder engagement);
Stewardship practices in private markets; and
Policy advocacy

The framework is anchored in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises which lay out investor responsibilities to carry out due diligence and prevent or mitigate adverse environmental and social impacts.

“Marketing around ESG investment has put the onus on asset owners to differentiate the asset managers that walk the talk from those that don't on human and labour rights stewardship” said Christoffer Jönsson, CEO of Folksam LO Pension and chair of the CWC. “Amid the crosshairs, I will use this tool to ask questions of our external asset managers with the aim of encouraging a race to the top.”

The CWC Baseline Expectations were developed collaboratively by trade union officials and pension fund trustees affiliated to unions, including: the Australian Council of Trade Unions (Australia), AFL-CIO (USA), Comisiones Obreras (Spain), FNV (Netherlands), the International Trade Union Confederation, UNI Global Union, the International Transport Workers' Federation and the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC).

Click here to access the document

Spotlight on Capital Group: Opportunities to Embed Fundamental Labour Rights in Investment Stewardship

Hugues Letourneau — 2022-06-29T19:44:56Z

Capital Group is the world's 7th largest asset manager. The US-headquartered firm is an active investor which often ranks as a top 10 shareholder in the companies where it invests, including priority cases among CWC participating trade unions, such as Amazon and Wizz Air. The manager has a client base in the Americas (Canada, the USA), Asia Pacific (including Australia) and Europe. Institutional investors (including pension funds) make up 37%, or USD 0.9tn of its client base.

The CWC Secretariat analysed Capital Group against three of the four categories that figure in the CWC Baseline Expectations for Asset Managers on Fundamental Labour Rights. The report comprises an analysis of the manager's: 1) Stewardship framework, 2) Stewardship practices in public equities (including shareholder engagement and proxy voting) and 3) policy advocacy.

Report Highlights

Capital Group references international norms and frameworks like the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
Capital Group's ESG policy lacks details on the criteria for engagement with companies and escalation tactics used when severe adverse labour rights impacts occur.
The manager could improve ESG stewardship practices by disclosing its proxy voting record and listing the companies it engages with on a quarterly basis, in line with practices of other global asset managers.
Capital Group could enhance its transparency by publishing its responses to public policy consultations in a centralized location on its website on a quarterly basis.

This report on Capital Group is current up to June 9th, 2022.

cwc_ama_capital_group_report_final_.pdf

Trustees Driving Real World Impact: An Interview with Cheri Hearty (Canada)

Hugues Letourneau — 2022-05-04T20:41:04Z

The first interview from the CWC's 2022 Trustee Leadership Profile Series features Cheri Hearty, a Canadian union-elected trustee and co-chair of the Pension Plan for the Employees of the Ontario Public Service Employees' Union since 2019. Despite being from a smaller plan, Cheri's knows how to pack a big punch when it comes to ESG issues.

Cheri's advice to trustees looking to improve ESG practices at their fund is to ask lots of questions to their asset managers and to join like-minded peers through networks like the CWC and the Canadian Capital Stewardship Network (CCSN). Speaking to how trustees can work together (through initiatives like the CWC's Asset Manager Accountability Initiative) to mobilize workers' capital, Cheri says, “If you feel like that small minnow in a big ocean, all of a sudden, you're ten thousand minnows in the same ocean. Collective action is really important; it can expand the effectiveness of individual trustee action.”

Cheri was interviewed in March 2022.

cwc__profile_cheri_hearty_final.pdf