99% against | Levi Strauss & Goldman Sachs shareholders reject anti-DEI proposals

Levi Strauss and Goldman Sachs shareholders have overwhelmingly voted to maintain the companies’ diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategies, despite growing political pressure to dismantle such initiatives across the private sector.

At its annual general meeting Levi Strauss disclosed that more than 99% of shareholders voted against a proposal that would have scrapped the company’s DEI programmes. The motion comes amid renewed national debate following an executive order from Donald Trump in January, which aimed to curtail DEI practices in both government and private industry.

The apparel company’s shareholders joined others, including those at Costco and Apple, in rejecting proposals that challenge the role of DEI in corporate governance. At Costco’s annual meeting in January, over 98% of shareholders voted against a proposal to assess the risks of maintaining DEI initiatives.

The investor response stands in contrast to a broader pattern of retrenchment on DEI by some high-profile corporations. Over the past year, companies including Walmart, Target, and Amazon have scaled back internal DEI policies, raising questions for HR leaders about the direction of inclusion efforts in the current political climate.