Ask and ye shall receive.

UUP President Phillip Smith found out how true that can be when he asked fellow AFT Executive Council members in October to pass a resolution to push TIAA-CREF to adopt a “socially responsible” investment policy. And they did—unanimously.

“This resolution is intended to press TIAA-CREF to use its resources and investment capacity to push corporations to act ethically and responsibly with regard to labor,” said Smith. “UUP and AFT have long been concerned with promoting fair labor standards for all workers. This resolution is in line with the socially conscious perspective of our union members.”

A large number of UUP members have their pensions invested through TIAA-CREF.

The resolution calls for TIAA-CREF to:

• strengthen its commitment and devote further resources to promote human, civil and labor rights in its investment screening, shareholder advocacy, community investments and public policy;

• substantially strengthen its capacity for the oversight and engagement of the companies in which it invests; and

• adopt an explicit policy of engaging all of its portfolio companies to promote the ILO Core Labor standards. Those standards include eliminating all forms of forced or compulsory labor, abolishing child labor, providing equal opportunity and treatment, and ensuring the right to bargain collectively.

As The Voice went to press, TIAA-CREF responded in a letter to AFT President Randi Weingarten. Read the response at www.uupinfo.org.

— Karen L. Mattison