Starbucks Investors Vote in Favor of Worker-Rights Assessment

Starbucks Corp. investors are asking the company to do a third-party assessment of how it treats its labor force, going against the company’s recommendation. The nonbinding proposal’s approval comes after a flurry of unionization across the coffee giant’s US cafes last year that has since slowed.

In the close vote, more than half of investors said they want the company to conduct an assessment of its worker-rights commitments. Starbucks shareholders cast their ballots during the company’s annual meeting last week.

Increasingly, companies are being held accountable for how they treat their employees, especially lower-paid service staff. The vote may set ...