Starbucks’ investors want to know about its anti-union efforts

Shareholders at Starbucks’ Annual Meeting voted to approve a proposal to have the board “commission and oversee an independent, third-party assessment of Starbucks’ adherence to its stated commitment to workers’ freedom of association and collective bargaining rights.” The proposal is non-binding but could spur repercussions from shareholders should the board choose to ignore it. “I think it’s pretty clear at this point that a majority of Starbucks investors are concerned about the company’s approach to worker rights,” said Jonas Kron, chief advocacy officer at Trillium Asset Management, which supported the proposal.