SINALTRAINAL Supports Teamsters Strike

The workers of the multinational Coke in the US are continuing their strike since May 23, 2005.

The workers in the bottling plants in Connecticut and California have stopped the production of "gaseosera" just before the beginning of the summer, which is the most important season for soda companies. Many workers are on unemployment in Orange County in L.A. and Hartford, Connecticut, which helps the workers fight for a better life and health. It is believed that the strike could move throughout the nation.

The majority of the workers especially in production and distribution have been in negotiations with the company about the 46 plants in the US. The workers have not accepted the proposal from the company that they pay for the detriment of their incomes and of their family welfare.

The principal complaint of those on strike against the company is that it wants to charge each family for 50% of their medical insurance, which is equivalent to various hundreds of dollars per month. Right now they do not pay anything.

Right now there are no negotiations, so the company has come to the table but broken the dialog once again. Coke does not dialog with the workers, weighted with (?) the AUC (which is found on the US's list of terrorists). The Deer and the Diamond in the South of Cordoba in Colombia (Revista Cambio, February 8, 1999).

Violence, breaking of rights, human rights violations, and worker job insecurity is the world politics of the transnational. Before it was in Guatemala, after in Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, etc.; now it is in your country, in your headquarters, in the United States.

We give our support from Colombia, to the workers of the multinational who are advancing in their fight to defend their rights and lives. From our home country we will continue to denounce these new abuses made by the company and will contribute to strengthening the global confrontation against the misery that Coke generates in all corners of the planet.

We salute your union organization with great affection, the Teamsters and the International Union of Workers - IUF, UITA - for your firm decision to defend the rights to heath and the lives of our co-workers.

Equally, we salute and support the order made by the workers involved in the strike to STOP THE CONSUMPTION of Coke products in order to reject the intentions of the multinational.

This firm decision of the workers in the US strengthen the fight of the world against the multinational. We maintain our firm decision to continue the World Campaign against Coke and we invite you to join us in this worthy and just task.

Edgar Paez M.
National Director
Responsible International Relations
SINALTRAINAL - Colombia

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