DEI at COSTCO
Are the members of COSTCO’s Board of Directors carrying out their fiduciary duties by continuing to defend their DEI policies?
Costco Board Urges Shareholders to Reject Calls to End DEI Programs
https://link.theepochtimes.com/mkt_app/us/costco-board-urges-shareholders-to-reject-calls-to-end-dei-programs-5783316?utm_medium=app&c=share_pos1&pid=iOS_app_share&utm_source=iOS_app_share
When I saw the above headline, I was curious. What is the Board thinking? Who are the Board members and what convinces them that DEI is good policy for its 300,000 employees?
There were 884 comments on that article when I looked. I read about 20 after posting my own comment:
“I did not know that Costco supports DEI.
I will boycott this company until it ends DEI and its inherent “discrimination by policy”. If I were a shareholder, I would likewise dump its stock.
Any Board member who believes that DEI is good for business has lost his/her ethical compass for business success and forsaken their fiduciary duty to COSTCO’s shareholders.”
I am not alone.
I began to read the next 20 comments and found the sentiments similar to my own.
One person cut up his membership card. Another did not renew his membership. Most said they would shop shopping at COSTCO.
BING Copilot lists the current Board members:
As of now, the members of Costco's Board of Directors include:
- **Hamilton E. James** (Chairman of the Board)
- **W. Craig Jelinek** (President and CEO)
- **Jeffrey H. Brotman** (Co-Founder)
- **Susan L. Decker**
- **Daniel J. Evans**
- **Charles T. Munger**
- **Jeffrey S. Raikes**
- **John W. Stanton**
- **Maggie Wilderotter**
- **Mary Agnes Wilderotter**
These individuals bring a wealth of experience from various industries, contributing to Costco's strategic direction and governance¹².
Source: Conversation with Copilot, 2024-12-31
(1) Costco Wholesale Corporation - Governance - Board of Directors. https://investor.costco.com/governance/board-of-directors/default.aspx.
(2) Governance - Board of Directors - Costco Wholesale Corporation. https://investor.costco.com/governance/board-of-directors/person-details/default.aspx?ItemId=765daafb-20df-4d30-9176-2868feb9a282.
(3) Org Chart Costco Wholesale - The Official Board. https://www.theofficialboard.com/org-chart/costco-wholesale.
Why does the Board support DEI according to BING Copilot?
The Costco Board supports Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies for several reasons:
1. **Business Benefits**: The board believes that DEI efforts help attract and retain talented employees, foster innovation, and strengthen relationships with customers and suppliers. A diverse workforce brings creativity to products, better understands customer preferences, and reflects the diverse backgrounds of Costco's members¹⁴.
2. **Core Values**: DEI policies align with Costco's core values of inclusion and respect. The company emphasizes that welcoming members from all walks of life and having a diverse team improves overall satisfaction⁴.
3. **Legal Compliance**: Costco asserts that its DEI policies fully comply with the law, including recent Supreme Court rulings. The board argues that these efforts are legally appropriate and beneficial for the company's long-term success¹⁴.
4. **Rejection of Anti-DEI Proposals**: The board has unanimously recommended that shareholders vote against proposals challenging the company's DEI practices. They argue that such proposals do not reduce risk but rather aim to abolish diversity programs, which they believe are crucial for the company's success¹⁴.
Overall, Costco's board maintains that DEI initiatives are essential for fostering a positive, innovative, and inclusive workplace that benefits both employees and customers.
If you have any other questions or need further information, feel free to ask!
Source: Conversation with Copilot, 2024-12-31
(1) Costco board stands firm on DEI policies as think tank pushes for review. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/30/costco-board-stands-firm-on-dei-policies-as-think-tank-pushes-for-review/.
(2) Costco is fighting to keep its DEI program as major companies roll back .... https://finance.yahoo.com/news/costco-fighting-keep-dei-program-165300706.html.
(3) Costco defends DEI program as other major retailers drop controversial diversity push. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/human-resources/costco-defends-dei-program-as-other-major-retailers-drop-controversial-diversity-push/ar-AA1wEVpu.
(4) Costco board pushes back against anti-DEI shareholder proposal. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/costco-board-pushes-back-against-125007249.html.
Do your homework.
May I suggest to the Board that it reviews all 884 comments and then reconsider its commitment to DEI?
“The customer is always right”, the popular idiom states.
Costco have been filling up Northern Ontario with Indians from Asia. This nonsense has been going on for a very long time....the reason being, our Federal govt. offset the pay of these people. So, in answer to DEI, yes, Walmart are in favor of these policies, because Walmart are the beneficiary. In Canada, were so meek, and pathetic. All it would take, is for some known singer etc to go on social media...and boycott Walmart's...but us meek mild mannered people have become indoctrinated to these Marxists ways of thinking...its really quite pathetic...the 20 something generation, cant think for themselves...no critical thinking required...Removing our current govt will be a step in the right direction. Next step is to remove this Marxist indoctrination from our education system.....remember in the primary grades when they removed keeping score in gym class...this was the start, 30 yrs ago....removing Christmas, was another initiative....we have an up hill battle to restore this country.. its taken 30 yrs to get this point, it will take another 30yrs to wind the clock back...
DEI = DIDN'T EARN IT.