למה קולה
May 1, 2008 Stop Killer Coke Newsletter
What a Great Month for the Campaign!
Contents of This
Newsletter
1. Coke Critics
Dominate Coca-Cola Annual Shareholders' Meeting
Once again, the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke joined
Polaris Institute, the India Resource Center, Corporate
Accountability International, the Teamsters union, B.
Wardlaw, college students, Students for a Free Tibet and
other critics of The Coca-Cola Co. at the company's April
16 annual shareholders meeting in Wilmington, Delaware.
Jared Abbott, Campaign to Stop Killer Coke
(AP Photo/Bradley C Bower)
Ray Rogers; Journalist Mark Thomas; Ed Potter, Coke's
Director
of Global Relations, and Coke's Senior VP Thomas Mattia
talking prior to the annual meeting.
On the agenda this year was a resolution proposed by B.
Wardlaw, a large Coca-Cola shareholder, which called for:
"Section 4. Board Committee on Human Rights.
There is established a Board Committee on Human Rights,
which is created and authorized to review the implications
of company policies, above and beyond matters of legal
compliance, for the human rights of individuals in the US
and worldwide."
As expected this resolution was aggressively opposed by
the Company's executives and board, first trying to
prevent it from appearing on the Company's proxy statement
and then strongly opposing it leading up to and at the
meeting. However, even though the proposal only received
3.7% of the shareholders' vote, that's enough for it to
automatically appear on the 2009 annual meeting agenda.
Those who came to the meeting to raise issues of
concern were limited to statements of two minutes in an
effort to stifle dissent. In 2006, speakers were allowed
three minutes. Speakers focused on abuses in Colombia and
India, privatization of water and Coke's refusal to
address human rights abuses relating to China, the
Olympics, the
Ray Rogers Statement
Our director Ray Rogers spoke about the sham of the ILO
"investigation" and how Coke has tried to avoid any real
third-party investigation of past and present labor abuses
in Colombia. His statement follows:
"Before I cast my vote, I want to know if the new board
nominees will continue the same irresponsible policies of
the present board and continue to lie to shareholders, the
media and the public?
"Mr. Isdell, you are on record stating that the
International Labor Organization had agreed to conduct "an
investigation of past and present labor practices" of its
bottlers in Colombia in response to allegations of
systematic intimidation, kidnapping, torture and murder of
union leaders.
"Yet four, I repeat, four top officials of the ILO have
completely contradicted Coke's assertions, including Sally
Paxton who Coke said in April 2006 was in charge of the
so- called "investigation." Ms. Paxton told me straight
out, that the ILO never agreed to conduct such an
investigation and will not.
"In a letter I received on Monday, Kari Tapiola of the
ILO also made it clear that the ILO would not be
conducting any such investigation.
"Additionally, the ILO could never be considered as an
independent third party investigator when you consider the
organization's intimate ties to Ed Potter, Coca-Cola's
head of Global Labor Relations. Not only does Mr. Potter
serve on the ILO's Applications of Conventions and
Recommendations Committee, but for many years, he has also
been the head spokesperson for the entire Employers Group,
a powerful role within the ILO structure that allows him
to promote the interests of big business and Coca-Cola in
particular.
"How do you explain what happened at the ILO meeting in
June. The Sydney Morning Herald reported:
" 'Employers led by a Coca-Cola executive [Ed Potter]
stopped the International Labour Organisation examining
violations of workplace rights in Colombia.'
"The article goes on to describe how Mr. Potter
orchestrated and led the charge by the ILO's business
sector to veto Colombia as being on a list of countries to
be monitored by the ILO for labor and human rights abuses.
"Why do I bring up Coke's ILO public relations scam?
Because tomorrow, New York University is voting whether to
allow Coke back on campus based on false information that
the ILO is actually conducting a legitimate investigation.
You, Ed Potter, Coke board member and NYU trustee Barry
Diller and Mr. Tapiola all know it's a big lie.
Here, during Mr. Isdell's response, there was an
interaction between Rogers and the CEO in which Rogers
made it clear that Mr. Isdell was continuing to lie about
the so-called ILO "investigation."
Report of the Shareholders Meeting from the India
Resource Center
Read Report
"China, Olympics, Tibet Torture, Coca-Cola Profits,
India Resource Center, April 28, 2008
Read Article
Later, the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke's Lew
Friedman spoke about how Coke's brand name value had
lost more than $2 billion over the past two years and
congratulated Majora Carter, a torch bearer in San
Francisco chosen by Coke, for her courage in pulling out a
small Tibetan flag as she was carrying the Olympic torch
("A Chinese paramilitary squad escorting the torch quickly
snatched it from her, and cops pushed her into the crowd."
Daily News, 4/11/08). Friedman rejected
inaccuracies that Coca-Cola and Mr. Isdell had brought up
about unionized labor in Colombia. He said that the
figures Coke publicizes as representing the percentage of
unionized Coke workers in Colombia is misleading and
inaccurate since most workers in Coke's bottling plants
are not considered by Coke to be "employees." They are
deemed subcontracted, "flexible" workers who wear Coke
uniforms, but are not allowed to join the union. Friedman
pointed out that in 2007 two groups of subcontracted
workers were fired after joining SINALTRAINAL.
Isdell was clearly annoyed at the mention of Coke's
loss in brand name value and the divestment by TIAA-CREF's
CREF Social Choice Account of Coke stock. He then claimed
35% unionization by Coke in Colombia, while only 3% of
Colombian's workers belong to unions.
At this point, Ray Rogers raised a point of order. He
said: "I want to clarify that you, Mr. Isdell said that
35% of Coke workers in Colombia are unionized. Is that
correct?"
Mr. Isdell responded: "That is correct!" Thirty five
percent!"
Rogers responded: "That is a lie!"
Mr. Isdell said: "That's the statement I made."
The Campaign to Stop Killer Coke provided proxies for
Tibetans to attend the annual meeting. Two of the Tibetans
spoke taking the position that Coke should use its
influence to ensure that the Olympic torch is not carried
through Tibet. "This will cause bloodshed!" Isdell
responded with spin, causing Lebsang Choephel, whose
brother was killed in Tibet last month, to shout: "You
are counting money! We are counting lives!"
Journalist Michael Blanding speaking with
Tibetan speakers Dorje Lama and Lebsang Choephel
outside the annual meeting.
Outside, there was a demonstration of about 150
Tibetans, also demanding that Coke use its influence to
stop the Olympic torch from going through Tibet.
Photo by Bradley C. Bower/Associated Press
Ray speaking to Tibetan protestors outside the annual
meeting.
Ray Rogers and Mark Thomas holding a Tibetan flag
presented
to the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke from Students for a
Free Tibet.
Ray is wearing a Lama Kata Blessing around his neck
presented
to him by a Tibetan Lama.
Report of Shareholders Meeting from Corporate
Accountability International (with photos)
Read Report
Statement by University of Albany, SUNY, grad
student Jackie Hayes
"Hi, my name is Jackie Hayes. I am a proxy for Joseph
Klinkov of 200 shares. I am also a doctoral student in the
Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Studies
department at SUNY Albany and a member of Students for
Workers' Rights.
"An article published in the Economic Times on
March 28, 2008 stated that according to Coke's own study,
the TERI report, the Coca-Cola Company is "responsible for
exacerbating water crises [in India]." The article also
stated that, "Coca-Cola has not respected the rights of
farmers and has exploited the groundwater to such an
extent in some areas that thousands of farmers have lost
their livelihoods."
"In light of ongoing human rights violations alongside
mounting evidence clearly illustrating that the 'Coke side
of life' is bringing death and destruction to communities
around the world many students, including myself, have
been calling on our colleges and universities to sever
major contracts with Coke. In fact, United University
Professions (UUP), the union representing over 34,000
faculty on 29 State University of New York campuses passed
a resolution urging their chapters to press "for the
termination of contracts with Coca-Cola on their
campuses."
"I along with a broad coalition of students and faculty
at SUNY Albany will continue to urge our University to
sever all ties with such a disreputable corporation and
we'll also be working to kick Coke off of other colleges
and universities throughout the SUNY system, which
includes 64 campuses and 367,000 students. We hope to be
the 49th or 50th university to kick Coke off at SUNY
Albany.
"So far the Coca-Cola Company's response to very
serious allegations of human rights abuses has been a
series of public relations schemes which are laughable, if
not downright insulting, and do nothing but further
illustrate Coca-Cola's reckless disregard for its workers,
their communities, and the environment. The Coca-Cola
Company can no longer use the veil of PR and denial to
deal with these very serious issues, the company must
confront the damage it has caused to communities across
the globe."
# # #
CEO Isdell, obviously angered, responded to Jackie
after cutting her off at exactly two minutes: "I am
actually insulted that you say that The Coca-Cola Co.
brings death and destruction around the world."
Well done, Ms. Hayes!
2. Campus Updates
a. A Second Big
Victory at New York University: Coke Ban Upheld
This was at least the third time that Coke and
university bureaucrats tried to bring Coke back to a
campus after students had successfully campaigned to
remove all Coke products. The first was University of
Michigan, the second Swarthmore College and the third New
York University.
At University of Michigan, students won a ban of Coke
products with a vote of their Dispute Review Board (DRB)
after a long-fought campaign by a coalition of some 20
campus organizations. Executive VP and CFO Tim Slottow
made his decision to bring Coke back to campus,
unilaterally circumventing the democratic decision of the
DRB and the student organizations. Slottow had been
provided false information by Coke regarding an
"investigation" by the International Labor Organization,
which he did not take the time or have the inclination to
investigate. Slottow showed himself to be nothing more
than a cheerleader for Coke, not an impartial
administrator who would take the time to seek the truth.
At Swarthmore College, U.S. District Court Judge Jed
Rakoff, a member of the college's Board of Managers,
unsuccessfully attempted to reverse the administration's
decision to "Kick Coke."
At NYU, the nation's largest private university, Arthur
Tannenbaum, Chair of the University's Public Affairs
Committee, faced a more democratic process and had to go
through a debate and a vote by the University-wide Senate.
NYU students and alumni working with the Campaign to Stop
Killer Coke, did a terrific job!
The resolution to reinstate Coke lost and Coke products
are still banned from NYU. Congratulations! It was
terrific working with a coalition of campaigners from the
past and present.
We must monitor the situation at all schools closely.
Coke's friends in high places, such as NYU's Tannenbaum
and Barry Diller; Michigan's Slottow, and Swarthmore's
Rakoff, who would circumvent the truth and their schools'
commitment to ethical practices, will certainly try again
to promote the interests of The Coca-Cola Co.
NYU News Stories
Washington Square News, "Vitamin Water ousted
at NYU," By Jane C. Timm, April 30, 2008
Read Article
"For just under a year, NYU has been selling the Coca-Cola
product VitaminWater in dining halls and cafeterias, going
against its own Coke product ban which has been in effect
since December 2005. Glacéau, the company that produces
VitaminWater, was purchased by Coke in May 2007. After an
inquiry from WSN, university spokesman John Beckman
responded by saying that the university would have
VitaminWater off the shelves by the start of the summer
term."
Washington Square News, "U. Senate, we commend you
for upholding Coke ban," By Jeff Olshansky, April 24, 2008
Read Article
"Coke's request that NYU lift the ban demonstrates that
the ban applies pressure on Coke to change."
Washington Square News, "Letter: Coke gives
no reason for NYU to lift ban on products," By John
Patrick Leary, Graduate School of Arts and Science, April
21, 2008
Read Letter
"...[W]hile doing research in Colombia in 2003, I had the
opportunity to meet many Coke workers and their families.
They were exceptionally courageous; many lived under
constant bodyguard. I became friendly with a Coke union
activist named Efraín Guerrero. Shortly after I left, his
brother-in-law and nephew were machine-gunned in their
living room, killed to intimidate Efraín. Coke, his
employer, should be held accountable for crimes like
these. So far, it has not been."
Washington Square News (New York University),
"U. Senate upholds ban on Coke: After long debate,
senators reject resolution to bring company's drinks back
on campus," Sergio Hernandez, April 18, 2008
Read Article
"But supporters of the ban have criticized the ILO's
investigation, questioning its neutrality and efficacy.
Specifically, they have accused the organization of having
a conflict of interest because Ed Potter, Coca-Cola's
director of global relations, is also a long-time member
of the ILO...Senators also criticized the investigation's
speed. It was originally announced in early 2006, spurring
the University of Michigan to revoke its own Coca-Cola
ban. But last year, the Michigan Daily reported that the
ILO had fallen behind on all of its deadlines for the
investigation."
Washington Square News, "With real change,
NYU is a paper tiger," WSN Editorial Board, April 15, 2008
"We believe the university should not repeal the ban - as
symbolic or as small as it may seem, it sends a message
that NYU will not support a company with dirty labor
practices."
Washington Square News, "Coke [does not]
agrees to investigation, but workers still abused," By
Crystal Yakacki, April 10, 2008
Read Article
"Coke has been claiming for over two years now that the
ILO would do an investigation, but the company has yet to
even set a timeline or terms for this investigation. In
April 2006, the University of Michigan reinstated Coke
products on their campus, calling for Coke to complete an
assessment of the conditions in by March 31, 2007. Coke
missed that deadline, and another year has passed. It is
clear that an investigation will not take place even by
the ILO, Coke's preferred choice, unless increased
pressure is put on Coca- Cola."
Washington Square News, "Coke ban may be
lifted by summer, By Sergio Hernandez, February 11, 2008
Read Article
"Coca-Cola bottles could find their way back into campus
vending machines by the end of the semester,
administrators said at Thursday's University Senate
meeting...
"But Ray Rogers, director of the National Campaign to
Stop Killer Coke, lashed out at the investigation, calling
it 'yet another scam.' Rogers accused Coca-Cola of a
laundry list of labor violations and he questioned the
legitimacy of the ILO's investigation. For example, Rogers
noted that Ed Potter serves as Coca-Cola's director of
global labor relations but also holds a position on the
ILO's Applications of Conventions Committee. Rogers also
accused the NYU administration of bias because of its ties
to the Coca-Cola Company, particularly singling out NYU
trustee Barry Diller. Diller, aside from serving on NYU's
Board of Trustees, has also served on the Board of
Directors for Coca-Cola since 2002."
Correspondence to NYU Re: Case Against Coke
Letter from Campaign Director Ray Rogers to NYU
Senate's Public Affairs Committee Chair Arthur Tannenbaum.
Read Letter
Law Students for Economic Justice, NYU's School of
Law, Letter, March 1, 2008
Read Letter
NYU's Coke Ban is Still Necessary
Letter from USAS International Campaigns Coordinator
Zack Knorr to NYU Senate's Public Affairs Committee Chair
Arthur Tannenbaum
Read Letter
Letter from Laura Sedlak, CAS '05, Crystal Yakacki,
CAS '05, Erin Keskeny, Tisch '07 to NYU Senate's Public
Affairs Committee Chair Arthur Tannenbaum
Read Letter
b. Cardiff
University, UK
Months ago, Senior Lecturer Paul Mason at Cardiff
University in the UK contacted us to get posters,
stickers, a customized flyer and DVDs to launch a campaign
against Coke called "Kick Killer Coke Off Campus." They
are now gaining momentum on campus.
We received the following report from their campaign:
"Here are some photos of the "This Funeral Is Brought
To You By Coca Cola" demo which we had on Wednesday 16th
April at Cardiff University [UK] as part of our Kick
Killer Coke Off Campus campaign.
"We marched through the main university building,
complete with a purpose built coffin, sprayed up with the
slogan and tombstones to represent the trade union members
who were killed in Colombia. We congregated outside the
student union where flyers were handed out -- there were a
number of interesting discussions with students who
pledged their support, but also their ignorance of Coke's
crimes. We had around 50 people attend and students taking
photos and a film -- which I will send on when its been
cut. We also had the student union President and Vice
President come out to speak to us about our campaign. The
Cardiff AGM is in February 2009, which we are building
towards. We also intend to replace Coke with
Ubuntu.
c. Castleknock
Community College, Ireland, Becomes Coke-Free
"My name is Andrew Wielens at Castleknock Community
College (Ireland). With the tireless efforts of one of the
school's teachers, we have already successfully boycotted
Coca-Cola from the school with the removal of all
Coca-Cola products from the vending machines and cafeteria
and banned from classrooms. Please put us on the list of
Coke-Free institutions."
Castleknock becomes at least the fourth campus in
Ireland to remove Coke products.
d. Chabot College,
California, Dumps Coke
Chabot College in Hayward, California, has a total
enrollment of 14,441 students, employing 183 full time
faculty and 357 part time faculty. The Campaign received
the following email from a Chabot student campaigner:
"Hi, it's Janet Covarrubias from Chabot College in
Hayward, California. I have GREAT news! All Coca-Cola
vending machines were taken off of our campus! From when
we started the anti-Coke campaign at Chabot, it took about
two and a half semesters to get Coke off our campus. All
the Coke vending machines have been replaced with Pepsi
machines... Chabot had made it clear to us that they could
not take Coke off the campus because they had just renewed
a five-year contract with them. But, then I saw them
carrying away all the empty Coke machines...I am a very
happy girl...
"I just want to take the time to thank you for
everything that you have done for us and to let you know
that we have succeeded in clearing coke off our campus."
e. City University
of New York (CUNY)
University Student
Senate Votes 21-0 to Support Ban of Coke on All Campuses
On Sunday, April 13, the University Student Senate for
the entire City University of New York, representing more
than 460,000 full and part-time students on 23 campuses in
New York City, voted 21 to 0 to support the following
resolution. The resolution must have 24 votes to become
official and will be voted on again. The student
government leadership is working to make that happen.
Meanwhile, individual campuses are also working with the
Campaign to Stop Killer Coke to spearhead resolutions and
campaigns to make their campuses Coke-Free.
Resolution to Kick Coke Off CUNY Campuses
Whereas, in 2001 and 2006, lawsuits were filed
in the United States against Coca -Cola and its bottlers
in Colombia charging that the bottlers "contracted with or
otherwise directed paramilitary security forces that
utilized extreme violence and murdered, tortured,
unlawfully detained or otherwise silenced trade union
leaders."
Whereas, the lawsuits were filed on behalf of
SINALTRAINAL - the major union representing Coca-Cola
workers in Colombia - several of its members and the
survivors of Isidro Gil and Adolfo de Jesus Munera, two of
its murdered officers.
Whereas, it is well documented that human rights
abuses that have festered at Coke's bottling plants for
years in Colombia are a replay of what occurred at Coke's
facilities in Guatemala in the '70s and '80s. A 1987
publication, Soft Drink, Hard Labour, by the Latin America
Bureau in England states: "For nine years, the 450 workers
at the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Guatemala City fought a
battle with Coca-Cola for their jobs, their trade union
and their lives...Three General Secretaries of their union
were murdered and five other workers killed. Four more
were kidnapped and have disappeared. Against all the odds
they survived thanks to their own extraordinary
courage...A huge international campaign of protests and
boycotts was central to their struggle. As a result, the
Coca-Cola workers forced concessions from one of the
world's largest multinational giants and kept the
Guatemalan trade union movement alive through a dark age
of government repression."
Whereas, a fact-finding delegation to Colombia
in 2004 led by New York City Council Member Hiram
Monserrate, which included representatives of the CUNY
community, issued a report concluding that Coca-Cola is
"complicit in human rights abuses in Colombia" and that
its "complicity is deepened by its repeated pattern of
bringing criminal charges against union activists who have
spoken out about the company's collusion with the
paramilitaries"
Whereas, the report further concludes "that
Coca-Cola bears responsibility for the campaign of terror
leveled at its workers is unavoidable. The company has
pressured workers to resign their union membership and
contractual rights, and fired workers who refused to do
so...Most troubling to the delegation were the persistent
allegations that paramilitary violence against workers was
done with the knowledge of and likely under the direction
of company managers..."
Whereas, PSC-CUNY, the union that represents
CUNY faculty and staff has officially called for a boycott
of Coke products, as has the 585,000 member New York State
United Teachers.
Whereas, at least 46 schools including CUNY Law
School, Queensborough Community College, CUNY's Joseph
Murphy Institute, New York University, Manhattanville
College, Union Theological Seminary and Rutgers
University, have kicked Coke off their campuses.
Whereas, The Coca-Cola Company was dropped from
the Broad Market Social Index (BMSI) list of socially
responsible companies prepared by KLD Research &
Analytics, Inc., an independent investment research firm
that is considered a world leader in defining corporate
responsibility standards.
Whereas, it was reported in the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution (7/19/06) that "KLD based its
decision on a number of issues-labor and human rights in
Colombia, environmental issues in India..."
Whereas, in July 2006, the Teachers Insurance
and Annuity Association-College Retirement Equities Fund
(TIAA-CREF) divested 1.25 million shares of Coca-Cola Co.
stock and has banned further investments in its $9 billion
CREF Social Choice Account, the nation's largest socially
screened fund for individual investors, because The
Coca-Cola Co. does not meet TIAA-CREF's standards as a
socially responsible company.
Whereas, Coca-Cola's largest bottler, Coca-Cola
Enterprises (CCE), which provides Coca-Cola beverages to
our university, shares directors with Coca-Cola FEMSA,
Colombia's largest bottler and a defendant in the human
rights abuse lawsuits.
Whereas, in July 2007, CCE was also dropped from
the BMSI and CREF Social Choice Account because CCE does
not meet their standards as a socially responsible
company.
Whereas, the Coca-Cola Co. opposed and defeated
the proxy resolution submitted by the New York City
Employees' Retirement System and the New York City
Teachers' Retirement System requesting that The Coca-Cola
Co. "sponsor the sending of an independent delegation of
inquiry to Colombia to examine the charges of collusion in
anti-union violence that have been made against officials
of Coca-Cola's bottling plants in that country and that
the delegation includes representatives from U.S. and
Colombian human rights organizations."
Whereas, the Sydney Morning Herald
reported on June 6, 2007: "Employers led by Coca-Cola
executive [Ed Potter] stopped the International Labour
Organization of the United Nations examining violations of
workplace rights in Colombia..." Potter appears to be
working to shield Colombia and Coca-Cola from any real
scrutiny at a time when the Colombian government and
multinational corporations are getting unwanted attention
for their ties to paramilitary death squads that prey on
workers and their unions.
Whereas, campaigns against Coca-Cola are growing
worldwide because of labor, human rights and/or
environmental abuses in Chile, Colombia, El Salvador,
Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Turkey,
the United States, Venezuela and other countries.
Whereas, it has been reported that The Coca-Cola
Co. has been accused of benefiting from prison labor in
China (BBC News, 5/21/07).
Whereas, the Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola
Enterprises continue to be involved in a number of racial
discrimination lawsuits and in 2000, after years of
denying racial discrimination, the Coca-Cola Company paid
$192.5 million, the largest racial discrimination
settlement in U.S. history.
Whereas, Coca-Cola has been criticized for
massive water exploitation and discriminatory workplace
practices in Mexico and the Chicago Tribune
(10/30/06) reported, "many U.S. corporations - including
Coca-Cola...are engaging in hiring practices that appear
to violate their U.S. fair employment policies." It noted,
"Job seekers [in Mexico] considered too old, too chunky or
too dark are screened out by companies that sometimes
specify the ideal candidate's marital status, height,
weight, tone of voice, even the part of town in which the
person should reside..."
Whereas, Coca-Cola operates in the Sudan where
its factory, according to The New York Times
(11/24/06), "churns out 100,000 bottles of Coke, Sprite
and Fanta per hour" and has paid fines for violating U.S.
sanctions.
Whereas, Coca-Cola, with a public relations
blitz, continues to try to cover up its over-exploitation
and pollution of scarce water resources in India and the
hardship it has inflicted on many people and communities.
Whereas, the Environmental Law Research Center in
Geneva issued a report in May 2007 concluding that "the
availability of good quality water for drinking purposes
and agriculture [in India] has been affected dangerously
due to the activity of the Company [The Coca-Cola Co.].
Apart from that, the Company had also polluted the
agricultural lands by depositing hazardous wastes. All
these point to the gross violation of the basic human
rights, that is, the right to life, right to livelihood
and the violation of the pollution control laws."
Whereas, one Coca-Cola plant has been shut down
since 2004 due to protests and the Atlanta-Journal
Constitution (12/16/07) reported that India's Kerala
State Pollution Control Board sent a letter to Coke's
India head office in September 2007 "accusing the company
of polluting with cadmium and asking executives why they
should not face criminal prosecution."
Whereas, on Nov. 19, 2007, a documentary film
broadcast nationally in England highlighted Coke's human
rights and environmental abuses in Colombia and India, its
offensive history of racial discrimination, and how Coke
benefits from hazardous child labor cutting sugar cane
illegally in El Salvador.
Whereas, after the decision was made to remove
Coke beverages from Smith College in May 2007, Smith
President Carol Christ issued a press release stating:
"This is not a decision reached lightly. Smith's
relationship with Coca-Cola spans some five decades...As a
private college with a public conscience, Smith College
takes issues of human rights and environmental
sustainability very seriously. Social responsibility is a
core value of the college, one we aspire to reflect in our
educational mission and in our campus operations. In
severing our ties with the Coca-Cola Corporation, Smith
joins other institutions and organizations around the
world in urging Coca-Cola to take significant steps toward
more responsible business practices across all realms of
its operations."
Resolved, that the University Student Senate
holds itself accountable to international human rights
standards and will hold all companies that do business
with U.S.S. also accountable to such standards.
Resolved, that the University Student Senate
will ban all Coke products from all its meetings and
events.
Resolved, that University Student Senate calls
on all CUNY campuses to hold The Coca-Cola Company
accountable by removing all Coke machines and banning the
sale of Coke products.
Resolved, that the University Student Senate
will publicize this resolution through a press release to
all campus and local media outlets.
Resolved, that until The Coca-Cola Company can
prove that it has taken genuine remedial actions to become
a responsible corporate citizen, the call for this ban on
Coca- Cola products at all CUNY campuses will remain in
effect.
New York City Council Member Hiram Monserrate, who led
a fact-finding delegation to Colombia in 2004 to
investigate allegations of human rights abuses at
Coca-Cola bottling plants in Colombia was a guest speaker
at the meeting and reported and fielded questions on what
the delegation uncovered. The delegation issued a scathing
report in April 2004 stating: "Coca-Cola is complicit in
human rights abuses of its workers in Colombia" and "bears
responsibility for the campaign of terror leveled at its
workers." The report pointed out that "physical access
that paramilitaries have had to Coca-Cola bottling plants
is impossible without company knowledge and/or tacit
2. Baruch College
The Ticker, Baruch College, City University
of New York, "Baruch plays kick the (Coke) can," By Anna
Aulova, April 7, 2008
Read Article
"According to Under Graduate Student Government President
Anthony Hernandez, the chairperson for University State
Senate, Robert Ramos, will be visiting Baruch soon to
discuss the Coca-Cola boycott, which will ultimately
decide the future of Coca-Cola products on campus. 'If the
USS, which has the primary say on campus activities, votes
to kick the product off campus, Coca-Cola products will
not be welcome here any longer,' he explained."
3. John Jay
College of Criminal Justice
John Jay College of Criminal Justice passed a
resolution with the same Whereases that was voted on at
the CUNY-wide University Student Senate (See above), but
with different "Resolveds." The Resolveds are below:
Resolved, that John Jay College Of Criminal
Justice Student Government Association calls on all CUNY
campuses to hold The Coca-Cola Company accountable by
removing all Coke machines and banning the sale of Coke
products.
Resolved, that the John Jay College Of Criminal
Justice Student Government Association will ban all Coke
products from all its meetings and events.
Resolved, that the John Jay College Of Criminal
Justice Student Government Association will demand and
actively pursue the banning and removal of all Coke
products from John Jay College Of Criminal Justice's
campus.
Resolved, that ban will remain in effect until
The Coca-Cola Company takes appropriate measures to
address the situation in its Colombian facilities and
worldwide, including:
� Denouncing the violence that is occurring and has
occurred in the name of Coca- Cola in Colombia
� Reinforcing Coca-Cola's public stance against
violence by directing all bottling plants in Colombia to
stop dealing with any armed groups that are participating
in violence or threats against trade unionists
� Implementing a human rights policy that applies
directly to its Colombian bottlers
� Establishing a complaint and reporting process which
will allow union members to report violations occurring in
Coca-Cola bottling plants to an official of the company
who will then investigate and take swift remedial action
against these violations
� Coca-Cola and its Colombian bottlers must submit to
an independent investigation by investigative bodies
agreed to by SINALTRAINAL and must remove managers linked
to paramilitary groups
� Providing compensation to the known victims of
violence at Coca-Cola bottling plants.
Resolved, that the John Jay College Of Criminal
Justice Student Government Association will publicize this
resolution through a press release to all campus and local
media outlets.
f. Clark
University, Worcester, Massachusetts
NECN-TV, "Coca-Cola accused of human rights abuses,"
Clark University, Worcester, Mass., April 9, 2008
"With musical acts and signs, a group of Clark University
students drew attention to the center of campus Wednesday
hoping to get their message across. The group, called
Campus Accountability Now, is against the distribution of
Coca-Cola products, accusing the company of human rights
abuses."
Students at Clark University accuse Coca-COla of
human rights abuses
g. Columbia
University, New York City
We received the following report from Columbia
University's Elissa Verrilli:
"On Tuesday, April 15, the Columbia University chapter
of USAS (called SEEJ -- Students for Environmental and
Economic Justice,) threw a Killer Coke Kegger for the
Columbia community to raise awareness about the atrocities
Coca-Cola is responsible for and to gain support for a
campus-wide Killer Coke Campaign. The goal of the event
was to introduce students to Coca-Cola brand alternatives
that could potentially be implemented at the university
instead of Coke.
"We set up the festivities on College Walk, the
university's pedestrian hub, complete with two root beer
kegs, root beer pong, and a plethora of Coke alternative
samples. We introduced brands such as Lipton, Snapple,
Newman's Own, GUS (Grown Up Soda), Jones' Soda, and many
more. Our tables were adorned with a fantastic
hand-crafted Killer Coke polar bear and plenty of
information regarding Coca-Cola issues. At the Kegger, we
collected signatures for a petition to help communicate
our demands to Columbia administrators.
"The event was highly successful and hugely fun. Then
again, who can resist a Kegger on a beautiful April day?"
h. Guilford
College, North Carolina, Removes Coke from Campus
Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina, draws
on Quaker and liberal arts traditions has 3,000 students
and faculty. Coke was kicked off campus early this year,
but remained in the bookstore which was under a separate
contract. Efforts are in progress to get Coke out of the
bookstore, as well. "President Chabotar and other
senior staff members conferred and agreed that some of
Coca-Cola's corporate practices were not in line with
Guilford's core values and mission." Two reports
follow:
Ty Buckner, Director of College Relations submitted the
following:
"After thorough consideration including input from
students and others on campus, Guilford is preparing to
transfer its soda vending and pouring rights from
Coca-Cola to Pepsi-Cola effective Jan. 1, 2008. According
to available information, Coca-Cola has held the rights
since the 1970s.
The following information is being provided so that
members of the community can have a full understanding of
the process and offer final comments before the new
arrangement is confirmed. Guilford is very unusual among
colleges and universities in not only soliciting input and
holding multiple open forums on major campus issues but
also publishing a full draft of many decisions and policy
changes for more community comment before final
consideration and possible implementation.
In April 2007, a group of students made a
presentation to members of senior staff concerning certain
corporate practices of the Coca-Cola Company. Members of
senior staff and President Kent Chabotar agreed to
consider the issues the students raised over summer break
and reconvene in the fall to discuss various options.
Meanwhile, Pepsi-Cola approached Guilford in August
about the opportunity to become the college's exclusive
beverage provider. At that point, rather than make a
decision, President Chabotar decided to wait for the
semester to begin so as to gather community (specifically
student) input before making a final decision.
Students and staff worked together to schedule three
open forums over the first three months this semester.
Forty-four students attended the first forum and a variety
of providers were suggested in addition to Coca-Cola and
Pepsi-Cola. An independent student study group worked to
formalize a list of companies for consideration.
The second forum took place at the beginning of
October. This forum served to generate a list of pertinent
questions covering social responsibility issues and
capability of delivery issues. Nine students attended the
second forum. Questions were e-mailed to Coca- Cola,
Pepsi, Jones Soda, RC Cola, Blue Sky, Hansen's Natural,
GuS Grown-Up Soda and Santa Cruz Organic/R.W. Knudsen Oct.
12. These providers were asked to respond to the questions
or to let the college know if they were interested in
working with Guilford by Oct. 22. Two companies responded
by the deadline: Coca-Cola (after requesting and receiving
an extension) and Pepsi.
After the Oct. 22 deadline passed, Dean for Campus Life
Aaron Fetrow and students who attended the forums made
numerous phone calls to the companies that did not
respond. These calls did not yield any further information
from the above-listed providers. In fact, one of the
providers referred Guilford to a contact who was not
longer employed by their company. This lack of response
raised serious questions about the ability of these
companies to provide timely service to an account when
difficulties arise.
A final open forum was advertised for the beginning of
November to discuss the responses submitted by Coca-Cola
and Pepsi, and four students attended. President
Chabotar and other senior staff members conferred and
agreed that some of Coca-Cola's corporate practices were
not in line with Guilford's core values and mission.
Further, it was determined that Pepsi:
� Would offer better overall service to the college in
terms of soda vending and pouring
� Would be more in line with Guilford's commitments
to social responsibility and environmental sustainability
� Bottles beverages locally (in both Winston-Salem and
Raleigh), which contributes to the North Carolina economy
by providing jobs for North Carolinians
� Has the ability to provide a wide range of products
and possess the ability to service equipment quickly when
problems occur
The college is confident that Pepsi and Guilford can
form a strong partnership in the coming years.
# # #
Guilford plans to drop Coca-Cola, Starbucks, and
Nestle
By Eric Ginsburg
The Guilfordian
November 30, 2007
"After a numerous student initiatives and three open
forums, the college has announced its plan to switch the
school's soda, juice, and coffee suppliers beginning Jan.
Currently, Guilford holds an exclusive contract with
Coca-Cola for all soda and juice products on campus, with
the exception of products in the school bookstore. As of
now, Nestle provides the coffee in the dining hall and
Starbucks in Grill 155.
The college plans to switch to Pepsi-Cola, which will
buy out Coke's exclusive contract for soda and juice, and
Green Mountain, which will provide fair trade, organic,
shade-grown coffee in the dining hall and the Grill 155.
According to a public statement by the college placed
in the Guilford Beacon on Nov. 16, the school began
considering alternative beverage suppliers after the
Sodexho Independent Study Group brought up concerns in a
presentation last April on Coca-Cola, Sodexho, and
Starbucks.
Coca-Cola has been widely criticized for their
alleged involvement with the assassinations of over half a
dozen union leaders who worked at Coke's bottling plants
in Colombia. Since 1990, Coke continues to deny any
connection to the eight murders. In addition, the
Coca-Cola Company is one of the three largest water
privatizing entities in the world, restricting access to
water and allegedly poisoning local water supplies around
their plants in India.
During the first open beverage forum, which was the
most highly attended, students rejected the notion of
switching to Pepsi because of its similar corporate
background. Pepsi-Cola is also one of the three largest
water privatizers worldwide.
Referring to a recent conflict in the Indian state of
Kerala, ecologist and scholar Vandana Shiva explained in
her book "Earth Democracy," "The local movement of women
in Plachimada triggered recognition of people's community
rights to water in law, while also triggering movements
against the 87 other Coca-Cola and Pepsi plants where
water is being depleted and polluted."
However, after student research into alternatives, Dean
for Campus Life Aaron Fetrow contacted a number of
smaller, seemingly more ethical companies by e-mail to see
if they were viable alternatives to Pepsi or Coca-Cola.
Only Pepsi and Coke responded to the questions, which
were generated in the second forum, but a number of other
companies reported never receiving the e-mail. Students
contacted some of the companies by phone and requested
they call Fetrow to express interest in the contract.
Though company representatives told students they were
interested, Fetrow maintained that none followed through
and called the college.
"If anything, this lack of response worried me as it
would relate to how the company would respond to service
calls and needs we may have on campus if they were the
next beverage provider," Fetrow explained.
Citing the lack of alternatives, a better match for
"social responsibility and environmental sustainability,"
service, and the fact that Pepsi is based in North
Carolina, Guilford College announced their plan to switch
to Pepsi-Cola.
"Pepsi is just as bad as Coke when in comes to human
rights abuses and pollution in foreign countries, so I
don't think it's the lesser of two evils," said first-year
Olivia Bailey. "It still goes against our Quaker
principles and ethical procurement policies,"
Once the school contacted Sodexho regarding student
concern over coffee, Sodexho offered to switch to Green
Mountain, a company they already do business with
elsewhere. In addition to being fair trade and organic,
Guilford's new coffee will be shade grown, which means
that ecosystems have not been destroyed by clear-cutting
forest to create coffee fields.
Starbucks was specifically mentioned during the Sodexho
Student Research group presentation last April to
administrators for their lack of fair trade products and
questionable treatment of workers attempting to organize
with the Industrial Workers of the World in New York City,
Chicago, and Maryland. Nestle is the third of the top
three water privatizers internationally and their coffee
is not fair trade. Over the years, they have been
repeatedly accused of using forced labor for the
production of their chocolate. Many students see Green
Mountain as more in line with the college's stated values
and a significant improvement over Starbucks and Nestle.
"Kicking out major corporations with a strong history
of human rights violations, such as Coca-Cola, Nestle, and
Starbucks, is an important step towards a more ethical
campus," said Shaina Machlus, who has been involved in the
process. "Because colleges and universities are
essentially major businesses within themselves, it is of
the utmost importance the whole community monitors where
our money is being spent."
It is unclear whether the bookstore, currently
managed by Follett, will make the switch from Coca-Cola
and Starbucks as well, though Vice President for Finance
and Administration Jerry Boothby submitted a written
request to Follett last week asking that they do so
immediately. If Follett does so, the campus-wide switch
will be complete.
"When Guilford purchases from a corporation it is
investing not only in the corporation but all of its
practices as well," Machlus said. "I hope this is only the
beginning of continual student input and dedication to
ensure more ethical purch
i. Indiana
University
Indiana Daily Student, "No Sweat! protests
against Coke," By Sarah Hutchins, February 13, 2008
Read Article
"After six years of marching, chalking and petitioning,
members of No Sweat! are optimistic about their campaign
to kick Coca-Cola off campus.No Sweat! is the IU chapter
of United Students Against Sweatshops, a student group
working to combat sweatshops and corporate globalization
at a local level.
"In the group's most recent campaign, members are
protesting the University's contract with Coca-Cola in
response to allegations that the company has been using
torture, murder and kidnapping to intimidate their workers
at a bottling plant in Colombia, said junior Cole Wehrle,
a No Sweat! member. Group members said they believe if the
school discontinues its contract, it can send a powerful
message to the company."
j. Ohio State
University
Columbus
Indymedia, "Debate: Students Against Coke vs Coca-Cola,"
Ohio State University, April 3, 2008
Listen to Debate
"This is a modern day 'David vs. Goliath' story. Coca-Cola
has refused to have a professional vs. professional
debate. They will only debate their professionals vs. the
non-killercoke student professionals! And the post-debate
report is... SUCCESS!!! Students Against Coke soundly
defeated Coca-Cola's public relations reps!"
Channel 10 News
(Ohio), "Student Group Wants Ohio State To Dump
Coca-Cola Contract," By Brittany Westbrook, April 3, 2008
Read Article
Watch Video
"Harry Lindner, who was a member anti-Coca-Cola group,
said the company abuses human and worker rights in places
like India, Colombia and El Salvador. 'It's not just about
getting rid of Coca-Cola," Lindner said. "It's about
cleaning up business practices that are wrong. It's about
treating the community with respect.' Eddie Klatka, also a
member of the group, said that Coca-Cola exploits children
in El Salvador. 'Right now they are using children in
sugar cane fields, which most people think child labor
is,' Klatka said."
The Free Press,
"Ohio State students call on political leaders to help
oust Coke from OSU," By Students Against Coke, Ohio State
University, April 3, 2008
Read Article
"OSU is believed to have the largest single university
contract in the nation. That contract expires in June. It
has been reported that in an exclusive contract
arrangement, OSU has received $30 million over the past 10
years. It was also reported in 1999 that Coke received $29
million in revenues in just the first year of the
contract. In addition, Coke benefits from free advertising
and promotion of its brand name throughout the campus and
at sports and other events."
Letter to 156 Ohio Legislators
Ohio State University Flyer
Luis Adolfo
Cardona Speaks Out Against Coca-Cola
Luis Adolfo Cardona of SINALTRAINAL and Camilo Romero
speak at Ohio State University's campus on April 2, 2008.
This event was sponsored by Students Against Coke. Luis
Adolfo Cardona was witness to the paramilitary death squad
murder of Isidro Gil on the grounds of the Coca-Cola
bottling plant in Carepa, Colombia. Gil was a leader of
SINALTRAINAL in Carepa. Cardona was kidnapped by the
paramilitaries, but managed to escape and make his way to
the United States.
Luis Adolfo Cardona Speaks about Coca-Cola Part 1
Luis Adolfo Cardona Speaks about Coca-Cola Part 2
Luis Adolfo Cardona Speaks about Coca-Cola Part 3
k. State
University of New York (SUNY)
1. Letter to 250
New York State Legislators
Students and faculty at SUNY Albany and SUNY Stony
Brook and the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke sent a joint
letter to all 250 New York State legislators, members of
congress and the executive branch of the state government:
Letter to New York State Legislators
2. Letter from NYS
Comptroller's Office Re: Responsible Vendors
A letter from the New York State Comptroller's office
signed by Asst. Comptroller John Mariarty was sent
responding to the letter above:
Letter from New York State Comptroller's office
The importance of this letter from the State
Comptroller's office is that it states "there is a
requirement that all State agencies that enter into
contracts evaluate the responsibility of their proposed
contractors and only enter into contracts with those
that are deemed responsible...For any Coca-Cola
contracts that come before us for approval, we will ensure
that the agency has thoroughly reviewed these issues in
the context of vendor responsibility."
3. SUNY Albany
" 'We are not really sure how it will go. We have been
putting on a lot of pressure,' said the second year grad
student [Jackie Hayes]. She is a member of Students for
Workers Rights, and last year, they were able to collect
1,211 student signatures on a petition calling for the
college to reject another exclusive contract with Coke.
United University Professions, the faculty union on
campus, also has passed a resolution calling for the
university to sever its relationship with the beverage
giant."
See Jackie Hayes' statement at the Coke shareholder
meeting at point 1 above
Graduate Student Organization, University of Albany,
SUNY, "RESOLUTION REGARDING THE COCA-COLA COMPANY," April
4, 2008
Read University of Albany Resolution
"...resolved that the Graduate Student Organization
support the efforts of the UUP in pressing for the
termination of contracts with Coca-Cola on campus."
Read UUP Resolution
"...BE IT RESOLVED that the UUP Delegate Assembly
recommends to the statewide UUP Executive Board that UUP
not serve Coca-Cola products at its events, meetings,
conferences, and delegate assemblies,"
4. SUNY Stony
Brook
"Dear President Kenny and the Faculty Student Assn.
"Stony Brook University's current contract with
Coca-Cola expires at the end of this year. While I
understand that this contract provides support for the
university and Stony Brook students, especially through
scholarships, the actions fo Coca-Cola throughout the
world taints not only itself but also the reputation of
Stony Brook University.
"Labor injustices and the murders of union members in
Colombia, the theft of water from peasants and
environmental devastation in India, and operating a
Coca-Cola plant in Darfur despite international sanctions
are only some of the human rights violations Coca-Cola has
committed. President Kenny, in an interview with student
media in the last academic year, you said "If universities
do not take seriously the human rights issues, who will?
They are seriously important." I hope that you still feel
the same.
"As a member of the Stony Brook community who takes
this issue seriously, I hope that you do the same by not
renewing the contract with Coca-Cola in 2008."
In response to hundreds of protest letters like the
one above sent to Pres. Kenny and the Faculty Student
Assn., Vice President of Finance Karol Kain Gray
responded:
"Thank you for your letter concerning the University's
interest in our pouring rights contract with Coca-Cola.
Over the last year, our Administration invited a group of
students from the Social Justice Alliance Organization to
meet with Coca-Cola representatives from their Colombia
and India headquarters to discuss the human rights issues
that are a matter to concern to you.
"The University is aware of the ethical concerns
relating to Coca-Cola's global conduct. As we formulate
our request for proposals and solicit potential vendors to
provide for the beverage needs of our campus community,
ethical conduct and vendor responsibility will be
important criteria in making any awards. The issue of
human rights will continue to be a high agenda item here
at the University, and any firm we conduct business
with is required to be forthright in disclosing and
discussing any concerns we might have.
"Student representatives have been selected to review
the bid proposal and to make recommendations. The new
beverage agreement once solicited and executed will
support the University's position on human rights and
global ethics and provide needed scholarship monies to our
students.
"Thank you again for expressing your concerns.
"Karol Kain Gray
"Vice President For Finance
"Stony Brook University"
l. University of
Vermont
WCAX-TV News, "UVM Students Want Coca-Cola Off
Campus," By Bianca Slota, March 6, 2008
Read Article
See Video
"UVM is a campus full of Coca-Cola products, including
Coke, Dr. Pepper, Vitamin Water and Odwalla bars. Justin
Hurtt, who is leading up the effort to kick Coke off
campus, says other students are frequently surprised to
learn just how many products are made by the Coca-Cola
company. He says getting them to give up the products
might take a bit of convincing, but he's sure it can be
done.
" 'I believe we can be able to do that here at the
University of Vermont,' says Hurtt. 'I believe that we
should if we want to hold up to our code of conduct and be
able to promote ourselves as a progressive and a
sustainable college.' "
3. Large Unions in
Canada Officially Back Campaign to Stop Killer Coke
a. OPSEU (Ontario
Public Service Employees Union), Largest Provincial Union
in Canada Votes to Become Coke-Free
OPSEU is the largest provincial union in Canada with
about 120,000 members. We were contacted by Nelson Ross
Laguna, president of OPSEU Local 499, in November 2007 and
we supplied him with thousands of Campaign leaflets,
mini-posters, stickers and DVDs over the past several
months.
On April 20, we received an email stating: "We won,
even when we were told we wouldn't. OPSEU, as I have been
told, is now the first Canadian union to officially call
for the complete boycott of Coca-Cola and their
subsidiaries and an all out ban of their products at any
functions. We will also go after free trade agreements and
unionized hotels that we deal with to stop carrying
Coca-Cola.
"We also had a worker who is now a member of OPSEU who
works as a paramedic and who is from Colombia. He was
tortured by paramilitaries and he spoke against Coca-Cola
just before the resolution.
"In the end, with 1600 people in the room and 851
voting delegates, only a handful voted against. It passed
with flying colours. We won and now the struggle
continues. Hopefully, other Canadian locals will get on
board. This was a big victory for us at OPSEU."
Nelson Ross Laguna
OPSEU/IWW
Ottawa, On
The union sent out a newsletter dated April 17th -
April 19th 2008 describing convention highlights. One
great highlight was "Convention floor passed the 'Killer
Coke' Campaign and commits to ban all Coke products from
OPSEU building and functions."
This is a huge victory for the campaign. Thank you
OPSEU and congratulations to Nelson and all those who
worked so hard to make this happen.
b. USW Local 1976,
Canada, "Will support the work of the Stop Killer Coke
Campaign"
Campaign to Stop Killer Coke Director Ray Rogers
addressed the USW Local 1976 National Conference in
Montreal, Canada. The nationwide local has more than 5,100
members. Below is the resolution that was read, seconded
and carried at the conference. Ray was warmly welcomed by
Pres. Natalie Lapointe and members responded to his speech
with a standing ovation.
Phil Conlon of Local 1976 wrote to the Campaign: "It
was a privilege to host you and to support the fine work
you do. We have committed to lobbying Parliament to
prevent a free trade agreement with the government of
Colombia, linking that position with the behaviour of Coke
and the death squads." A hearty thank you to Pres.
Lapointe, Phil Conlon and all the hardworking officers,
staff and delegates in Local 1976.
The Campaign wants to remind all those concerned
with the Free Trade agreements the role of Coca-Cola in
lobbying for those agreements over the years. The
Miami Herald reported on May 10, 2005: "Three Central
American presidents kicked off a barnstorming tour of
America on Monday in Miami, urging support for a trade
agreement...The 10-city tour by the presidents from the
Dominican Republic and Central America is the latest
effort by the Bush administration and the business
community to build support for CAFTA on Capitol Hill.
FedEx, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, and Citigroup are
sponsoring the tour..."
On Coke's website, they have taken the position that
"It is important for our Company in particular and the
beverage industry in general to show leadership in
communicating the benefits of free trade."
Resolution to Support Coke Trades Unions in Colombia
Whereas, in 2001 and 2006, lawsuits were filed
in the United States by the United Steelworkers and the
International Labor Rights Fund against Coca-Cola and its
bottlers in Colombia charging that the bottlers
"contracted with or otherwise directed paramilitary
security forces that utilized extreme violence and
murdered, tortured, unlawfully detained or otherwise
silenced trade union leaders."
Whereas, the lawsuits were filed on behalf of
SINALTRAINAL - the major union representing Coca-Cola
workers in Colombia - several of its members and the
survivors of Isidro Gil and Adolfo de Jesus Munera, two of
its murdered officers.
Whereas, it is well documented that human rights
abuses that have festered at Coke's bottling plants for
years in Colombia are a replay of what occurred at Coke's
facilities in Guatemala in the '70s and '80s. A 1987
publication, Soft Drink, Hard Labour, by the Latin
America Bureau in England states: "For nine years, the 450
workers at the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Guatemala City
fought a battle with Coca-Cola for their jobs, their trade
union and their lives...Three General Secretaries of their
union were murdered and five other workers killed. Four
more were kidnapped and have disappeared. Against all the
odds they survived thanks to their own extraordinary
courage...A huge international campaign of protests and
boycotts was central to their struggle. As a result, the
Coca-Cola workers forced concessions from one of the
world's largest multinational giants and kept the
Guatemalan trade union movement alive through a dark age
of government repression."
Whereas, a fact-finding delegation to Colombia
in 2004 led by New York City Council Member Hiram
Monserrate, which included representatives of the CUNY
community, issued a report concluding that Coca-Cola is
"complicit in human rights abuses in Colombia" and that
its "complicity is deepened by its repeated pattern of
bringing criminal charges against union activists who have
spoken out about the company's collusion with the
paramilitaries"
Whereas, the report further concludes "that
Coca-Cola bears responsibility for the campaign of terror
leveled at its workers is unavoidable. The company has
pressured workers to resign their union membership and
contractual rights, and fired workers who refused to do
so...Most troubling to the delegation were the persistent
allegations that paramilitary violence against workers was
done with the knowledge of and likely under the direction
of company managers..."
Whereas, the Sydney Morning Herald
reported on June 6, 2007: "Employers led by Coca-Cola
executive [Ed Potter] stopped the International Labour
Organization of the United Nations examining violations of
workplace rights in Colombia..." Potter appears to be
working to shield Colombia and Coca-Cola from any real
scrutiny at a time when the Colombian government and
multinational corporations are getting unwanted attention
for their ties to paramilitary death squads that prey on
workers and their unions.
Whereas, campaigns against Coca-Cola are growing
worldwide because of labor, human rights and/or
environmental abuses in Chile, Colombia, El Salvador,
Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Turkey,
the United States, Venezuela and other countries.
Whereas, on Nov. 19, 2007, a documentary film broadcast
nationally in England highlighted Coke's labor, human
rights and environmental abuses in Colombia and India, its
offensive history of racial discrimination, and how Coke
benefits from hazardous child labor cutting sugar cane
illegally in El Salvador.
Be it resolved, that Local 1976 will support the
work of the Stop Killer Coke Campaign, and will lobby
members of parliament to force the Canadian Government to
call to account coca cola executives and the Colombian
government and;
Be it further resolvedthat we will lobby parliament to
end any negotiation of a free trade agreement with
Colombia.
4. New Book by Ann
Aurelia López on Farmworkers' Struggles Builds Case
Against Killer Coke
New Book on Farmworkers' Struggles Builds Case Against
Killer Coke
On Dec. 23, 1999 at about 7 p.m., Ann Aurelia López was
typing field notes in her hotel room in central Zamora,
Michoacán, Mexico, when she was suddenly distracted "by
whistles blowing and traffic noise from a street choked
with cars" outside her window. When the University of
California-Santa Cruz researcher went outside to
investigate, she found "a stage with enormous speakers
blaring Christmas songs in the corner of the plaza next to
the church."
Listening closely, López noticed that lyrics of the
Christmas songs "had been altered to include reference to
Coca-Cola. Behind the stage stood a massive Christmas
tree...decorated with...ornaments bearing the words
'Coca-Cola' hung from the tree. Next to the tree, a large
sign said (in Spanish), "Enjoy Coca-Cola; Coca-Cola
increases the magic of Christmas in your city." The sign,
next to a stand featuring costumed Disney-like bear
characters wearing Coca-Cola logos and offering free cups
of Coke and Fresca, also included the insignia of DIF
(Integrated Family Development), an ostensibly independent
organization that was now openly aligned with the
Coca-Cola Company.
In The Farmworkers' Journey, recently published
by the University of California Press, López recalls that
she "later asked the director of DIF in Cuquio why an
organization interested in family health would
endorse...(a company that) was peddling addictive,
health-compromising substances. She responded that
Coca-Cola is one of DIF's few and only financial
supporters and sources of income."
Although Coca-Cola is not the main subject of her
valuable research and analysis, López makes a vivid and
convincing case against Coke's "unethical business
practices," including its bottlers' involvement in murder,
torture and other human rights violations in Colombia. She
details the ugly pattern of pollution, price-gouging,
union-busting, fraudulent marketing practices and support
for dictators that characterizes the conduct of Coke and
other multinational corporate interests in the Americas.
Not unexpectedly Vicente Fox, the former Coca-Cola Mexico
president who went on to become president of Mexico, makes
several cameo appearances.
After devoting years to studying how farmworker
families in California and Mexico subsidize agribusiness
while receiving far less than a fair wage to sustain
themselves, López has produced a book that should be must
reading for everyone who wants to become better informed
about economic globalization and the exploitation of
migrant agricultural workers. Her ability to relate to the
people she interviewed and to amplify their voices makes
The Farmworkers' Journey far more readable and
compelling than the typical academic work product.
Proceeds from sales of the book will help establish a
nonprofit foundation designed to provide assistance of
many kinds to farmworkers in California and Mexico. To
learn more about the Farm Workers Family Foundation, check
its Web sites in English and Spanish:
www.farmworkerfamily.org or
www.familiascampesinas.org.
Reviewed by Joe Pilati, staff writer/editor,
Campaign to Stop Killer Coke/Corporate Campaign, Inc.
5. Park Slope Food
Coop Removes Bottled Water from Shelves
The Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn, New York, is
composed of 13,900 members all of whom must work 2 3/4
hours every four weeks in order to shop. The Coop has long
had a mission statement that, in part, says: "We respect
the environment. We strive to reduce the impact of our
lifestyles on the world we share with other species and
future generations."
In April 2004, the General Meeting of the Coop, its
decision-making body, voted to "sever all ties with The
Coca-Cola Co., its units and subsidiaries and will no
longer sell the company's products which have 'The
Coca-Cola Co.' logo on the packaging or are advertised as
Coca-Cola products, such as, Odwalla or Minute Maid
products."
In August 2007, three Coop members, Susan Metz, David
Barouh and Lew Friedman met to prepare and introduce a new
proposal to the General Meeting: "That the PSFC
discontinue selling bottled water."
Why? They went on to explain to the membership:
"Because selling bottled water violates our mission -
polluting the environment and handing over public
resources for private gain - we resolve to discontinue
selling bottled water. Selling bottled water undermines
support for and confidence in the public water system,
which distributes our most precious common resource
equitably. Plastic bottles pollute the environment,
requires oil and lots of water to produce and fuel to
transport. They take up landfill space where toxins can
leach into the water table. Selling bottled water allows
corporations to exploit public resources for private gain.
Bottled water is an unnecessary expense to the consumer.
Unloading and schlepping bottled water is backbreaking
work and shelf space could be better used."
After discussion on the issue at the November 27, 2007
General Meeting, at which Susan, David and Lew presented
their position with a worldwide overview of the hazards of
bottled water, environmental issues and health issues, it
was decided that the issue would come up for a vote at a
future meeting. But it was decided that a discussion
should be had in the Coop's biweekly publication, The
Linewaiters' Gazette. And from December 2007 through
April 2008, many articles and letters were published.
(Anyone interested in getting the links to the Gazette
discussion, please send an email to Lew at
StopKillerCoke@aol.com.)
The General Meeting of April 29 was packed with some
200 people, a much larger meeting than usual. Most
speakers at the meeting supported the resolution, although
there were questions regarding seltzer (we were not
removing that product). It was noted by one speaker that
purchases of bottled water was not extensive at the Coop
and that sales had dropped over time. Most likely, members
had been previously educated about bottled water by the
Coop's discussion or by the media and had already decided
to stop purchasing it.
At the end of the time set aside for the discussion, a
vote was called and of the 200 people in the room only one
or two people opposed the resolution. The Park Slope Food
Coop thus has gone on record recognizing the dangers of
bottled water to our planet and will no longer sell it to
our members.
I would like to thank Richard Girard of the
Polaris Institute and Deborah Lapidus of
Corporate Accountability International who provided
help with support and information on the subject.
6. Demonstrators
Protest NYS Sen. Sabini Event Sponsored by Coke
Our Campaign received a flyer from a friend inviting
her to a Queens, New York, event celebrating Women's
History Month and sponsored by Coke. NYS Sen. John D.
Sabini was the host of this event. The campaign sent Sen.
Sabini a letter describing Coca-Cola's worldwide abuses,
measures that have been taken by the Campaign and
requested the following:
"1) that no Coca-Cola products be served at Saturday's
Women's History Month event and explain why to the
honorees and the audience. Bruno's can surely provide
alternative beverages.
"2) return any financial contribution to Saturday's
event made by Coca-Cola and/or its bottler.
"3) inform Coca-Cola that until the company proves that
it has taken remedial actions to protect the labor and
human rights of all workers in the Coca-Cola System, you
will not associate your name with Coke in any way that
serves to promote the company."
Members of the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke accompanied
by members of Comité en Soladaridad con Colombia
(CSSC)/Trade Unionists in Solidarity with Colombia (TUSC)
distributed leaflets to those entering the restaurant and
to Sabini's staff.
http://coca-coma.com is
a non prophet site and it it sponsser by
http://huberheighrs.co.il
