Walmart
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PROPOSAL NO. 6
INDEPENDENT CHAIRMAN
The Trowel Trades S&P 500 Index Fund, P.O. Box 75000, Detroit, Michigan
48275-3431, is the beneficial owner of 134,689 Shares and has notified
the Company that it intends to present the following proposal at the Annual
Shareholders’ Meeting:
Resolved: The shareholders of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
(“Company”) urge the Board of Directors to amend the Company’s
by laws, effective upon the expiration of current employment contracts,
to require that an independent director—as defined by the rules
of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”)—be its Chairman
of the Board of Directors.
Supporting Statement:
The recent wave of corporate scandals at such companies as Enron, WorldCom
and Tyco has resulted in renewed emphasis on the importance of independent
directors. For example, both the NYSE and the NASDAQ have adopted new
rules that would require corporations that wish to be traded on them to
have a majority of independent directors.
Unfortunately, having a majority of independent directors alone is clearly
not enough to prevent the type of scandals that have afflicted Enron,
WorldCom and Tyco. All of these corporations had a majority of independent
directors on their boards when the scandals occurred.
All of these corporations also had a Chairman of the Board who was also
an insider, usually the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), or
a former CEO, or some other officer. We believe that no matter how many
independent directors there are on a board, that board is less likely
to protect shareholder interests by providing independent oversight of
the officers if the Chairman of that board is also the CEO, former CEO
or some other officer or insider of the company.
We respectfully urge the board of our Company to dramatically change
its corporate governance structure by having an independent director serve
as its Chairman.
In our opinion, although this change would be dramatic, it would hardly
be radical. In the United Kingdom it is common to separate the offices
of Chairman and CEO. See: Investor Responsibility Research Center Background
Report, L, “Election of Directors, Board Independence and Related
Issues,” April 7, 2003, p. 18. In 1996, a blue ribbon commission
on Director Professionalism of the National Association of Corporate Directors
recommended that an independent director should be charged with “organizing
the board’s evaluation of the CEO and providing continuous ongoing
feedback; chairing executive sessions of the board; setting the agenda
with the CEO, and leading the board in anticipating and responding to
crises.”
PROPOSAL NO. 7
“SUSTAINABILITY” REPORT
The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits of the United Methodist
Church, 1201 Davis Street, Evanston, Illinois 60201-4118, which is the
beneficial owner of 1,007,340 Shares and the Libra Fund, L.P., 30 Rockefeller
Plaza, New York, New York, 10112-0258, which is the beneficial owner of
30,930 Shares are joined by other filers (whose names, addresses, and
shareholdings will be provided by Wal-Mart promptly upon receipt by Wal-Mart’s
Investor Relations Department of any oral or written request) that have
notified the Company that they intend to present the following proposal
at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting:
Whereas, we believe that Wal-Mart as the world’s
largest company aspires to be a good employer, a trusted corporate citizen
and a valued member of communities where it does business. To sustain
these commendable goals in a global economy, we believe, requires adoption
and implementation of practices designed to protect human rights, worker
rights, land and the environment. It is our expectation that Wal-Mart
will be a leader in social and environmental, as well as economic performance.
Companies are beginning to publish sustainability reports and are taking
a long-term approach to creating shareholder value through embracing opportunities
and managing risks derived from economic, environmental and social developments.
We believe sustainability reporting should be included in our company’s
annual report.
According to the Dow Jones Sustainability Group, sustainability includes:
“Sustainability leaders encourage long lasting social well being
in communities where they operate, engage in an active dialogue with different
stakeholders and respond to their specific and evolving needs thereby
securing a long term “license to operate”, as well as superior
customer and employee loyalty.” (www.sustainability-index.com)
As shareholders, we are troubled about the number of lawsuits filed
against our company related to labor violations and sex discrimination
and the negative press that this has attracted. (Business Week, 10/6/03)
We are also concerned about the number of negative articles in the press,
such as the recent publicity surrounding some contractors cleaning Wal-Mart
stores, the number of issues that are the subject of these articles and
the fact that these articles are in the serious business press, including
The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times. We need assurances that
the Board of Directors and top management are undertaking a serious examination
of the company’s overall strategy and its impact on various stakeholders
including the environment thus preserving the company’s reputation
and its license to operate.
We believe corporate sustainability includes a commitment to healthy
communities and a healthy environment including paying a sustainable living
wage to employees in the United States and every country where our company
operates. Workers need to have the purchasing power to meet their basic
needs.
The sustainability of corporations, we believe, is connected to the economic
sustainability of their workers and the communities where corporations
operate and sell products and the environmental viability of the planet.
Effective corporate policies can benefit both communities and corporations.
Resolved: shareholders request the Board of Directors
to prepare at reasonable expense a sustainability report. A summary of
the report should be provided to shareholders by October 2004.
Supporting Statement
We believe the report should include:
1. The company’s operating definition of sustainability.
2. A review of current company policies and practices related to social,
environmental and economic sustainability.
3. A summary of long-term plans to integrate sustainability objectives
throughout company operations.
PROPOSAL NO. 8
EQUITY COMPENSATION
NorthStar Asset Management, Inc., P.O. Box 1860, Boston, Massachusetts
02130-0016, which is the beneficial owner of 6,455 Shares, is joined by
other filers (whose names, addresses, and shareholdings will be provided
by Wal-Mart promptly upon receipt by Wal-Mart’s Investor Relations
Department of any oral or written request) that have notified the Company
that they intend to present the following proposal at the Annual Shareholders’
Meeting:
Whereas, Wal-Mart is one of hundreds of large companies
to publish an annual diversity report. These reports allow shareholders
and other interested parties to see the company’s progress in creating
opportunities for women and people of color.
Despite its stated diversity commitments, Wal-Mart has been subject to
several employee suits alleging race and gender discrimination in the
workplace. In September 2003, a US federal court considered a request
to grant class action status to a case brought by a group of Wal-Mart’s
female employees charging that Wal-Mart pays women less than men for doing
the same job. If class action status is granted, the case could involve
up to 1.5 million past and present female employees of Wal-Mart. According
to the plaintiffs in the case, about two-thirds of Wal-Mart’s hourly
workers are women, but less than a third of managers are female, far less
than other competitors in the retail industry.
Employee discrimination suits are on the rise nationwide and can be financially
costly to companies and risk damage to their reputation. In 2000, Coca-Cola
settled one of the nation’s largest employee race discrimination
suits for $192 million.
One of the frequent contentions in employee discrimination suits is that
employees are compensated differently on the basis of their race and gender.
Historically these cases have rested largely on the payment of salaries
and bonuses, but we believe in the future, employees will look more closely
at corporate wealth distributed in the form of stock options and restricted
stock.
According to Wal-Mart’s 2003 proxy statement, our company distributed
nearly 14 million options to employees in 2002: 9.4% of total options
went to the five most highly compensated officers, representing 0.0004%
of all employees. Each of these highest paid officers was a white male.
Resolved,
Shareholders request that the Board shall prepare a special report, documenting
the distribution of 2003 equity compensation by race and gender of the
recipient of the stock options and restricted stock awards (i.e. percentage
of options and restricted stock received by white men, white women, African-American
men, African-American women and so on). The report shall also provide
context explaining the recent trends in equity compensation granted to
women and employees of color. The report, prepared at reasonable cost
and omitting proprietary information, shall be available to shareholders,
upon request, no later than October 1, 2004.
Supporting statement
This requested report will provide additional information that will allow
shareholders to evaluate whether there is an equity compensation glass
ceiling at Wal-Mart, which might lead to potential future liability. In
requesting this report we wish to be sure that all Wal-Mart’s associates
received wealth-creating opportunities that fairly reflect their role
and contribution to the company. Wal-Mart has made a public commitment
to be a leader in corporate diversity initiatives and we believe that
disclosure of this additional information is consistent with our company’s
commitment.
PROPOSAL NO. 9
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD PRODUCTS
The Sinsinawa Dominicans, Inc., 585 Country Road Z, Sinsinawa, Wisconsin
53824-9701, which is the beneficial owner of 45 Shares, is joined by other
filers (whose names, addresses, and shareholdings will be provided by
Wal-Mart promptly upon receipt by Wal-Mart’s Investor Relations
Department of any oral or written request) that have notified the Company
that they intend to present the following proposal at the Annual Shareholders’
Meeting:
Resolved: Shareholders request that our Board review
the Company’s policies for food products manufactured or sold by
the Company under the Company’s brand names or private labels containing
genetically engineered (GE) ingredients and report to shareholders within
six months of the annual meeting. This report, developed at reasonable
cost and omitting proprietary information, will identify:
• the scope of the Company’s food products manufactured/sold
by the company under the Company’s brand name or private labels,
derived from or containing GE ingredients;
• outline a contingency plan for sourcing non-GE ingredients should
circumstances so require.
We urge that with this review, Wal-Mart address issues of competitive
advantage and brand name loyalty in the marketplace.
Supporting Statement
Indicators that genetically engineered food may be harmful to humans,
animals, or the environment include:
FDA does not assure the safety of GE products; it is the developer’s
responsibility to assure that the food is safe. The FDA lacks both the
authority and the information to adequately evaluate the safety of GE
foods. (Center for Science in the Public Interest, 1/2003).
In December 2002, StarLink corn, not approved for human consumption,
was detected in a U.S. corn shipment to Japan. StarLink was first discovered
to have contaminated U.S. corn supplies in September 2000, triggering
a recall of 300 products. (www.usda.gov/agency/oce/waob/oc2002/speeches/Leier-Mchugh.pdf)
Indicators of market resistance to GE-foods:
A Pew Global Attitudes survey (6/2003) indicates that Western Europeans
and Japanese overwhelmingly oppose GE-foods for health and environmental
reasons. In the United States 55% are opposed according to this survey.
Many of Europe’s larger food retailers [J. Sainsbury (UK), Carrefour
(France’s largest retailer), Migros (Switzerland’s largest
food chain), Delhaize (Belgium), Marks and Spencer (UK), Superquinn (Ireland)
and Effelunga (Italy)] have committed to removing GE ingredients from
their store-brand products.
PROPOSAL NO. 10
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY REPORT
The Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, P.O. Box 476, Convent Station,
New Jersey 07961-0476, which is the beneficial owner of 1,000 Shares,
is joined by other filers (whose names, addresses, and shareholdings will
be provided by Wal-Mart promptly upon receipt by Wal-Mart’s Investor
Relations Department of any oral or written request) that have notified
the Company that they intend to present the following proposal at the
Annual Shareholders’ Meeting:
Equal employment opportunity (EEO) is an important issue for corporate
shareholders, employees and management, especially as the workforce becomes
more diverse. According to the bipartisan Glass Ceiling Commission report,
a positive diversity record makes a positive impact on the bottom line.
Yet, while women and minorities comprise two thirds of our population
and 57% of the United States workforce, the Commission found that they
represent little more than 3% of executive-level positions. Various projections
indicate that women percent and minorities will constitute 62% of the
workforce by 2005.
Workplace discrimination has created a significant burden for shareholders
due to the high cost of litigation and potential loss of government contracts.
Such litigation also damages corporate and industry images. In the pharmaceutical,
petroleum and retail industries, discrimination lawsuits have resulted
in a financial impact on shareholders that adds up to billions of dollars.
The Glass Ceiling Commission recognized that “public disclosure
of diversity data—specifically data on the most senior positions—is
an effective incentive to develop and maintain innovative, effective programs
to break the glass ceiling barriers.” The Commission recommended
that both the public and private sectors work toward increased public
disclosure of diversity data.
“Accurate data on minorities and women can show where progress
is or is not being made in breaking glass ceiling barriers,” observed
the Commission.
More than 200 major U.S. corporations disclose EEO-1 reports to their
shareholders. Among these companies are many who have experienced large
racial and gender discrimination lawsuits; for example, Texaco, Shoney,
Denny, Smith Barney and Coca-Cola. Today virtually every industry can
claim some corporations who provide these reports to their shareholders.
As an example, some institutions in the financial industry that have disclosed
comprehensive EEO-1 data are Bank of America, Bank of New York, Citigroup,
Wachovia, Merrill Lynch and JPMorgan Chase.
Resolved: The shareholders request our company prepare
a report, at reasonable cost and omitting confidential information, within
four months of the annual meeting, including the following:
1. A chart identifying employees according to their sex and race in
each of the nine major EEOC-defined job categories for the last three
years, listing either numbers or percentages in each category;
2. A summary description of any affirmative action policies and programs
to improve performances, including job categories where women and minorities
are underutilized;
3. A description of any policies and programs oriented specifically
toward increasing the number of managers who are qualified females or
minorities;
4. A general description of how our company publicizes its affirmative
action policies and programs to merchandise suppliers and service providers.
PROPOSAL NO. 11
SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL OF PARTICIPATION IN THE OFFICER DEFERRED
COMPENSATION PLAN
The AFL-CIO Reserve Fund, 815 Sixteenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
20006-4101, is the beneficial owner of 2,700 Shares and has notified the
Company that it intends to present the following proposal at the Annual
Shareholders’ Meeting:
Resolved: The shareholders of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
(the “Company”) urge the Board of Directors (the “Board”)
to seek shareholder approval of future senior executive participation
in the Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Officer Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Deferred
Compensation Plan”). The Board shall implement this policy in a
manner that does not violate any existing employment agreement or executive
compensation plan.
Supporting Statement
We believe the Deferred Compensation Plan provides senior executives
with preferential retirement benefits that are not offered to most other
employees of the Company. Under the Deferred Compensation Plan, participating
executives have received above-market interest rates on compensation they
have deferred until after they retire. Each year, the interest rate paid
on amounts deferred under the Deferred Compensation Plan is determined
at the sole discretion of the Board’s Compensation Committee.
Although the Company does not disclose the Deferred Compensation Plan
interest rate in its 2003 proxy statement, our Company’s five most
highly paid senior executives received a combined total of $288,797 in
above-market interest in the fiscal year ended January 31, 2003. These
above-market interest payments are in addition to the market rate of interest
that is received by executives. Executives who have participated in the
Deferred Compensation Plan for at least ten years also receive “incentive
interest” payments after continuous employment over ten and fifteen-year
periods.
The interest credited under the Deferred Compensation Plan can amount
to a significant portion of a participating executive’s total compensation.
For example, former CEO David Glass received $113,432 in incentive interest
and $400,163 in above-market interest in the fiscal year ended January
31, 2002. These interest payments are equal to more than half of his base
salary during this period.
We believe these above-market and incentive interest payments are unnecessary
because our Company offers a variety of retirement plans that provide
senior executives with opportunities to save for their retirement. Like
other employees of our Company, senior executives participate in the Company’s
401(k) Plan and its Profit Sharing Plan, which are defined contribution
retirement plans. The Profit Sharing Plan’s assets are primarily
invested in Company stock.
In addition to these plans, senior executives also participate in a Supplemental
Executive Retirement Plan. This plan supplements executives’ retirement
contributions with nonqualified benefits above compensation limits set
by the Internal Revenue Code. In the fiscal year ended January 31, 2003,
our Company’s five most highly compensated executive officers received
a combined total of $297,526 under the Supplemental Executive Retirement
Plan.
In our opinion, the rate of return on executive deferred compensation
should be performance-based, or should at least reflect market returns.
Paying above-market interest rates also increases the cost of the Company’s
Deferred Compensation Plan to shareholders. To help ensure that the terms
of the Deferred Compensation Plan are in the best interests of shareholders,
we believe that senior executive participation in this plan should be
submitted for shareholder approval.
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