Proxy voting in 2018

  • JPMorgan sought to exclude our GFI-related proposal, but it lost its appeal to the SEC.
  • For 2018, we submitted a differently worded proposal, focusing on JPMorgan’s resistance to genocide-free investing despite its published corporate values that suggest that JPMorgan wants to do the right thing. It’s titled “Proposal to Report on Investments Tied to Genocide.”
  • Read the text of the 2018 proposal that will be presented at JPMorgan annual meeting on May 15, 2018.
  • Read Eric Cohen’s presentation of the 2018 proposal at the May 15 annual meeting.
  • Read the 2018 JPMorgan proxy statement.
  • Read the whitepaper on Genocide-free Investing: How and why investment firms should avoid ties to genocide.

The 2018 proposal states:

Shareholders request that the Board of Directors report to shareholders, at reasonable expense and excluding confidential information, an analysis of how JPMorgan’s published corporate values align with its policies regarding investments in companies tied to genocide or crimes against humanity, and specifically explain how its investments in CNPC/PetroChina are consistent with its published corporate values.

Proxy voting in 2013

Genocide-free investing received 9.55% in favor at JPMorgan Chase’s annual meeting on May 21, 2013

  • The 2013 vote result was slightly lower than the 2012 result. IAG objected in writing to JPMorgan, on April 19, 2013, just after they published the 2013 proxy, that the wording of the short description for the proposal on the JPMorgan ballot for 2013 served to diminish support for the genocide-free investing proposal because it labeled the proposal as “Adopt procedures to avoid holding or recommending investments that contribute to human rights violations” rather than using the title of the proposal as done for the 2012 ballot as “Genocide-free investing.” That change alone could be responsible for the the voting result being slightly lower than 2012.
  • Read Eric Cohen’s presentation of the genocide-free investing proposal at the May 21, 2013, annual shareholder meeting for JPMorgan.
  • Read the whitepaper on Genocide-free Investing: 2013 Proxy Votes at JPMorgan Chase and Franklin Resources.

The proposal stated:

Shareholders request that the Board institute transparent procedures to avoid holding or recommending investments in companies that, in management’s judgment, substantially contribute to genocide or crimes against humanity, the most egregious violations of human rights. Such procedures may include time-limited engagement with problem companies if management believes that their behavior can be changed. In the rare case that the company’s duties as an advisor require holding these investments, the procedures should provide for prominent disclosure to help shareholders avoid unintentionally holding such investments.

Proxy voting in 2012

Genocide-free investing received 10.74% in favor at JPMorgan Chase’s annual meeting on May 15, 2012

Ad in Pensions & Investments – April 2, 2012

  • IAG ran an ad in Pensions & Investments in advance of the voting on genocide-free investing on the proxy ballot at JPMorgan Chase’s annual meeting.
  • Click on the image on the right to see the full-page ad in Pensions & Investments from April 2, 2012.
  • IAG is very grateful for the support and generosity of the donor who made this ad possible.

Should institutional investors support investments tied to genocide? Research shows that the vast majority of Americans want to avoid investments tied to genocide.  Even so, many financial institutions invest in a handful of companies, such as PetroChina, that help to fund the government of Sudan’s deadly campaign of violence against millions of its citizens.  With a billion-dollar stake as of September 2011, JPMorgan Chase is one of PetroChina’s largest investors. This proxy season, JPMorgan Chase shareholders can vote to tell the company to avoid investments tied to genocide.  Last year, institutions voting for the genocide-free investing shareholder proposal included T. Rowe Price, AFSCME Employees Pension Plan, Christian Brothers and many others. How will you vote? Will you draw the line at genocide? Vote your proxy.  Tell JPMorgan Chase to avoid investments tied to genocide.