Labor union coalition The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC) has advanced three candidates for Starbucks’ board in a bid to give employees a louder voice to combat what it has described as ‘‘severe human capital mismanagement’’ at the coffee giant.
The coalition has put forward former White House officials Maria Echaveste and Joshua Gotbaum as well as Wilma Liebman, who led the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for more than two years until August 2011, according to a Tuesday press release.
NLRB, the federal agency responsible for protecting workers’ rights, has issued over 120 complaints against Starbucks, covering some 420 charges of violating federal labor law, SOC pointed out.
The dissident argued that Starbucks ‘‘cannot waste any more resources fighting its own workers’’ given its ‘‘ambitious goal’’ of opening more than 17,000 new stores by 2030.
‘‘Our nominees can bring fresh perspectives and the right expertise to help improve oversight and safeguard the best interests of Starbucks’ shareholders, customers and employees,’’ said SOC, which is backed by unions representing more than 2.3 million union members.
Starbucks said in a statement Tuesday that it will review the dissident nominees and noted recent efforts to improve its corporate governance, including the additions of four new directors in the past year and the appointment of Laxman Narasimhan as CEO last year ‘‘through a unique six-month immersion leading up to a refounding of the company.’’
The coffee company also highlighted that it has spent roughly $3 billion over the last three years on wage increases, training, new equipment and technology, and that this would continue at the same pace in 2024. Starbucks added that its hourly pay has risen by nearly 50% since 2020.
Starbucks shareholders will vote on the composition of the company’s eight-member board at the annual meeting on March 13.