Shareholder Focus on Workers’ Rights Ties Into Hollywood Strike

Shareholder proposals on workers’ rights gained momentum this proxy season as public scrutiny mounted over alleged union-busting and strikes escalated in the entertainment industry and elsewhere in the US.

Investors at companies including Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc and Activision Blizzard Inc rejected shareholder proposals over concerns about the companies’ commitments to workers’ right to organize. But most of the half dozen union-related shareholder proposals that went to a vote this year secured more than 30% of investor support, an impressive showing for almost entirely first-time proposals.

Highly publicized allegations of labor violations at companies including ...