AFT President Randi Weingarten Congratulates California State Teachers’ Retirement System Trustee Sharon Hendricks on Election to PRI Association Board

WASHINGTON—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after AFT Trustee Council Co-Chair Sharon Hendricks was elected to the Principles for Responsible Investment Association Board:

“As a trustee of the largest educator-only pension fund in the world, Sharon has made her mark, helping steward CalSTRS toward responsible investing in a time when that concept is too often merely a catch phrase.

“This year, along with other labor trustees, Sharon organized Trustees United to galvanize investors into considering the risks sexual harassment and workplace misconduct pose to workers and pension fund investments, under the guiding principle that a safe and welcoming workplace is a better investment. Trustees United took on the difficult task of urging an industry not known for its progressive gender policies to develop transparency and disclosure practices to protect the working people who invest in them.

“Sharon has long been a strong steward of teachers’ deferred wages and a proponent of responsible investment, and I know she’ll carry on that work on the PRI Association Board. They are lucky to have her.”