The SOC Investment Group, formerly known as CtW Investment Group, is the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment activism arm of the Strategic Organizing Center, formerly Change to Win (CtW), a labor organizing center operated by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and the United Farm Workers of America (UFW). Change to Win was originally founded as a rival to the AFL-CIO labor union federation. Strategic Organizing Center is today a much smaller organization that operates campaigns to pressure corporations to agree to labor union demands. ^{1 2 3}

Background

The SOC Investment Group, formerly known as the CtW Investment Group after Strategic Organizing Center’s former name Change to Win, works alongside labor union pension funds to support shareholder resolutions favorable to labor union organizing and left-of-center policy goals. At the time of the group’s founding in 2006, it was the CtW Investment Group. At that time, Change to Win (CtW) sought to rival the AFL-CIO labor federation, formed due to several unions being unhappy with the AFL-CIO’s prioritization of political activity over union organizing. ^{4 3}

Change to Win was formed in 2005 with seven member unions that accounted for 40 percent of the AFL-CIO’s total pre-split membership. Ultimately, Change to Win failed to accomplish its goal, and unions began to leave the federation in 2009. Change to Win rebranded as a labor organizing center called the Strategic Organizing Center, a much smaller organization that leads campaigns to pressure companies to agree to union demands. ^{4 3}

The SOC Investment Group was founded in February 2006 as the CtW Investment Group and originally coordinated Change to Win member unions’ pension funds. The group “work[ed] with pension funds sponsored by unions affiliated with the Strategic Organizing Center (SOC)…to enhance long-term shareholder returns through active ownership.” The group also stated that “shareholder activism and stewardship can improve long-term performance—particularly those of worker funds that are broadly diversified across the whole market. In addition, activities intended to monitor or influence the management of portfolio companies are consistent with a fiduciary’s obligations under ERISA.” ³

Activity

The SOC Investment Group urges action among stakeholders. While the group is not a named fiduciary for any pension or other type of fund or plan, the group states that it “develops strategies and initiatives to support efforts by trustees and their pension funds to be responsible and active owners.” Further, it states, “We also pay attention to major corporate transactions and contests for control because of the magnitude of shareholder value at stake and the fact that many past deals have destroyed such value.” ³

The group states that its role is purely advisory, and that “Although SOC Investment Group strategies and initiatives are thoroughly reviewed for compliance with applicable laws and regulations, the law requires trustees and other fiduciaries to conduct their own review and make independent decisions before implementing or adopting any of these strategies or initiatives.” ³

The group has specifically supported environmental, social, and governance (ESG) shareholder proposals resolving that a “company’s Board of Directors adopt and publicly disclose a policy on its commitment to respect the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining in its operations, as reflected in the International Labour Organization Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.” ⁵

1. Franklin, Stephen. “A Brief History of Labor Unsolidarity: AFL-CIO and Change to Win.” In These Times, August 26, 2010. https://inthesetimes.com/article/a-brief-history-of-labor-unsolidarity.
2. “About.” Strategic Organizing Center. https://thesoc.org/about/
3. “Mission Statement.” SOC Investment Group. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.socinvestmentgroup.com/mission-statement
4. “Legal Alert: New Union Federation: ‘Lean, Mean Organizing Machine.’” September 30, 2005. Accessed January 18, 2018. http://www.fordharrison.com/legal-alert-new-union-federation-lean-mean-organizing-machine
5. “Examples of Shareholder Proposals on Labor Rights.” SOC Investment Group. Accessed April 21, 2025.  https://www.socinvestmentgroup.com/example-shareholder-proposals-on-labor-rights