After pressure, Micron adds sexual orientation to nondiscrimination policy

Micron Technology decided Tuesday to amend its company policy so employees can no longer be fired on the basis of their sexual orientation. The move comes after The Advocaterevealed last week that the Boise, Idaho, company’s board of directors had ignored an unprecedented 55% shareholder vote that favored adding both sexual orientation and gender identity to Micron's nondiscrimination policies.

That shareholder resolution, filed by New York City comptroller William C. Thompson Jr. on behalf of the New York City Pension Fund System last June, was the first concerning sexual orientation nondiscrimination to receive a majority vote at any U.S. company.

In a letter to Thompson on Tuesday, Micron’s vice president of human resources, Patrick T. Otte, wrote, “Following conversations with our shareholders regarding nondiscrimination in the workplace, the Micron board today revisited its equal opportunity employment policies and came to a decision to add sexual orientation to its nondiscrimination language.”

The company said in its letter that the change would make its policy consistent across all its work sites, since its California employees already have sexual orientation protections. The company was also in the process of revising its nondiscrimination policies at its Oregon site to include sexual orientation, following recent changes in that state's law.

The Micron board, however, did not move to add gender identity protections to its policies. Company spokesperson Daniel Francisco gave no reasoning for the decision but said they were simply not considering that change at this time.

Jeff Simmons, communications director for the New York City Pension Fund System, said Thompson was pleased that Micron had acquiesced to its shareholders.

“However,” Simmons added, “we are disappointed that Micron has not fully embraced the scope of our resolution and instead has only amended its policy to include sexual orientation but not gender identity.” Simmons said the comptroller would continue to push for Micron to include gender identity protections.

Micron, which makes memory components and image sensors used in computers, cell phones, and cameras, employs about 11,000 people in Idaho, making it the largest private employer statewide. The company has about 23,000 employees worldwide.(Kerry Eleveld, The Advocate)