Amazon shareholder meeting: Resolutions but no change

Amazon shareholders brought a raft of concerns to CEO Jeff Bezos, including 11 resolutions that failed. Many of those resolutions asked for improved corporate citizenship from the tech giant.

Meanwhile, on sidewalks outside, people gathered to protest.

Some wore inflatable poop emoji costumes: They complained about labor practices at an Amazon security contractor. Pilots who fly packages for Prime Air held signs protesting their own labor situation. Pilot Michael Russo said he and his colleagues had been “locked in negotiations for the last three years, not making any progress.”

Meanwhile, inside the meeting, shareholders heard about rising sales and profits. But advocates who had bought Amazon shares asked the company to be a better corporate citizen.

Two shareholder proposals asked Amazon to consider the downside of facial recognition technology and other powerful surveillance tools. Other proposals asked Amazon to prove it is an equal opportunity employer; one asked the company to report how much food it wastes.

Some Amazon employees called for more action on climate change. When those employees asked those in favor to stand, it seemed that half the room stood up.

That resolution was batted down like all the others, however. Amazon says a resolution can only pass if holders of the majority of shares approve. Amazon executives themselves are major holders of Amazon stock.

Several resolutions attempting to give more power to smaller shareholders were defeated. Another that failed would have retained Jeff Bezos as president but not as chairman of Amazon's board. That resolution would have given Bezos a boss in the form of an independent chairman.