It pays to be a Microsoft shareholder. No, we're not talking about the obvious
benefits, such as voting against Bill Gates as Chairman of the Board of
Directors.
I received a shareholders meeting invitation, along with a booklet of
proposals, and a voting card to vote on each proposal. I flipped through the
booklet (it is really long - about 20 pages) and then looked at the voting
card. Next to the boxes that you can check to vote for, against, or abstain,
there's a 'board recommended' vote listed there.
I guess this is so that people who are in a hurry, can just vote with what the
board recommends without having to read through the booklet. But me, being my
cynical self, decided that of course, the board is probably only going to
recommend that you vote for or against proposals that will make them richer,
not what is always best for the company.
Playing on this idea, I flipped open the booklet to really read what it was
I'd be voting on. OK...vote for candidates on the board of directors...abstain
on that one...OK...second one...vote on the new proposed stock options plan
that allows employees to get stock options as an incentive to keep working
for the company...OK...that's only fair, vote for on that one...
Wait a moment. The third proposal is a stockholder proposal to prohibit "soft
money" donations made from Microsoft to specific political candidates. Now
this I can sink my teeth into. The proposal states that it is not perfectly
legal to lobby money to a particular candidate in order to get them into
office to protect the company's best interests. For example - to contribute
money towards a candidate who will oppose the break up of Microsoft's
monopoly, who will support tax cuts for Multi-nationals, and oppose
environmental regulations that would prohibit said large company and
affiliates from taking undue advantage of natural resources or polluting
these natural resources instead of spending money on environmentally safe
disposal methods.
Of course, the board strongly suggests you vote AGAINST this proposal, as
donating money to political candidates encourages people in the community to
take more of an interest in the politics of their city, state, and country.
What bullshit! OK....vote FOR that one...
The last proposal is another shareholder proposal - which if implemented, will
force Microsoft to comply with the national labor laws of it's companies
operating in China. The proposal states that Microsoft will pay the Chinese
workers suitable wages, prohibit promotions or hires based on ethnicity,
race, gender, marital status, political or religious affiliations, etc; it will also prohibit child labor, enforced corporal punishment by police
stationed in factories and offices towards workers, allow workers to form
unions, provide a safe and clean working environment, and not operate within
forced labor, prison camps, or reform-through-labor practices.
Surprisingly enough, the board recommends you vote AGAINST this proposal, as
they already do this stuff, and therefore shouldn't have to implement this
proposal. OK - if they already do this, then why oppose it? To be honest,
it's cheaper for Microsoft to make products in China, because they don't have
to comply with US labor laws, they don't have to hire within unions, and they
don't have to provide people with a decent work environment.
It just never ceases to amaze me how STUPID Microsoft must think their
stockholders are.