Amazon shareholder proposals for warehouse and union issues receive majority vote but do not pass

At Amazon’s recent annual shareholders meeting, shareholder resolutions pertaining to warehouse working conditions and the company’s response to labor unions received the most support among the 14 proposals on the table. However, none of the resolutions ended up passing, as announced by the company earlier in the week. Detailed results were made available later on, showing that the resolutions requesting more reporting on warehouse working conditions and Amazon’s handling of collective bargaining rights got around 30% of votes from shareholders, falling short of the majority needed for approval. These topics had also been at the forefront during last year’s meeting.

In addition to the warehouse working conditions and labor union related resolutions, other proposals this year that received nearly 30% of votes included those asking for additional reporting on gender/racial pay, the use of packaging materials, and the company’s lobbying efforts. It is noteworthy that nine out of the 14 proposals were repeat proposals that had failed in previous years, indicating a persistent concern among some shareholders. Amazon expressed in a proxy statement that some of these proposals contained assertions that they believed to be incorrect or based on a fundamental lack of understanding of the company’s operations.

Amazon’s 12-member board, which was re-elected as part of the meeting, had recommended that shareholders vote against all 14 outside proposals. One of the proposals that did not pass requested the creation of an additional board committee to specifically address human rights risks associated with the development and deployment of AI systems. Other proposals centered on the company’s environmental impact, with one asking for disclosure of “Scope 3” greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the lack of majority support for these resolutions, the fact that they received significant backing indicates ongoing concerns among shareholders about various aspects of Amazon’s operations.

In conclusion, Amazon’s annual shareholders meeting saw high levels of support for resolutions related to warehouse working conditions, labor unions, gender/racial pay reporting, packaging materials, and lobbying. While none of the 14 proposals ended up passing, the fact that some of them received close to 30% of votes indicates a continued interest among shareholders in these issues. Amazon’s board had recommended against all outside proposals, highlighting a disconnect between certain shareholders and the company’s leadership on certain matters. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see how Amazon addresses these recurring concerns and whether any changes will be made in response to shareholder feedback.