One week after the release of the third-party assessment of Starbucks’ collective bargaining commitments in December 2023, the Strategic Organizing Center — a coalition of labor unions provoking a proxy battle with the Starbucks executive board — responded. According to the SOC, the results of the independent audit very clearly show a “track record of human capital mismanagement” and that leadership change is needed to facilitate more constructive outcomes for labor-related discussions and agreements.

With its nomination of three directors to the Starbucks executive board, the Strategic Organizing Center hopes to address the company’s treatment of its employees, including Starbucks’ clashes with its growing union, arguing that the company’s alleged union-busting tactics have led it legally vulnerable and have tarnished the goodwill of the Starbucks brand.