Amid heightened union tensions at Starbucks, Workers United has launched a campaign encouraging labor organizers to apply for barista roles, seeking to 'salt' the workforce for organizing purposes. Starbucks, while planning to expand its headcount to address customer service concerns following previous staffing cuts, has criticized the union's recruitment efforts, urging the union to focus on finalizing contract negotiations instead. This move reflects ongoing friction between the company's management and pro-union initiatives.

Data from OpenSecrets shows that during the 2024 election cycle, Starbucks Corp contributed approximately $466,953 and spent around $1,540,000 on lobbying efforts. These financial figures are reported as part of the campaign finance and lobbying disclosures.

Brazilian workers, including a minor, have filed a civil lawsuit in the US against Starbucks alleging slavery-like conditions and forced labor at a coffee supplier. Additionally, Coffee Watch has filed a complaint with US Customs to exclude coffee produced under such conditions, highlighting a systemic failure in Starbucks' supply chain ethics and labor practices.

A class action lawsuit alleges that Starbucks, alongside Amazon, illegally used and shared customers' biometric data collected via Amazon's 'Just Walk Out' technology in its New York City stores without proper notification, raising concerns over unauthorized surveillance practices.

Starbucks is among major US employers adopting AI-powered software to monitor and analyze employee messaging for governance and compliance purposes, raising concerns over worker privacy and rights.

Starbucks is among a group of major employers, including Walmart, Delta, and Chevron, that have implemented Aware's AI technology to monitor employee messages on platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams. This move has raised concerns about privacy and the potential for a chilling effect on worker rights.

A lawsuit filed by the National Consumers League alleges that Starbucks misrepresented its ethical sourcing by procuring materials from suppliers involved in severe labor abuses, including forced labor, child labor, and sexual exploitation, undermining its ethical brand image.

A consumer advocacy group filed a lawsuit in Washington, D.C. on January 10, 2024, alleging that Starbucks falsely advertises its '100% ethical' sourcing by continuing to buy from coffee and tea suppliers with documented severe human rights and labor abuses in Guatemala, Kenya, and Brazil. Starbucks has indicated it is taking corrective actions in response to the claims.

Starbucks has adopted a comprehensive Corporate Political Contributions and Expenditures Policy aimed at increasing transparency and ethical oversight. The policy details guidelines for corporate contributions, outlines the process for aligning political expenditures with company values, and establishes annual review by its Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Critics and advocates have filed a legal complaint alleging that select Starbucks-Amazon Go locations fail to fully disclose the use of biometric surveillance technologies—such as facial recognition, palm scanning, and body shape tracking—raising serious concerns about customer privacy and ethical business practices.

An investigative report reveals multiple serious labor violations, including cases of slave and child labor, irregular wage deductions, and unsafe working conditions at certified coffee farms in Minas Gerais that supply Starbucks. The report raises concerns over the effectiveness of Starbucks’ ethical sourcing and certification programs.

In the lead-up to the 2020 election, Starbucks rolled out a multi-pronged political engagement strategy that included offering free one-way Lyft rides of up to $75 for employees to vote, volunteer, or safely drop off ballots, as well as adapting work schedules to ensure employees could participate in voting. At the same time, the company spent $520,000 on lobbying efforts focused on progressive issues such as immigration reform, employee mental-health benefits, and civic engagement, reinforcing its reputation as a progressive and anti-authoritarian brand.