Campaign to Stop Killer Coke Update

Events, Actions and Updates: December 17, 2004 Newsletter

Contents of This Newsletter

1. PSC/CUNY Bans Coke from Union Events
2. AAUP Rutgers Calls on University to Drop Coke
3. “Coke isn’t it, Hofstra group says,” Daily News
4. SunTrust Banks Adds New Coke CEO to Board
5. Alternatives to Coke
6. “Workers Rights are Human Rights: A Community-wide Public Event in Observance of International Human Rights Day” at Boston Public Library
7. UAW Local 22 Fundraising Appeal for Campaign
8. No Coke at Tribute to Harry Belafonte
9. Poems by Daniel North, from the UK
10. Take Actions Against Coke!
11. Please send photos, reports of events, etc.
12. E-Mail Alert!

1. PSC/CUNY Bans Coke from Union Events
The Professional Staff Congress/City University of New York (NYC University Faculty and Staff)) passed a resolution banning Coca-Cola from its offices and meetings and will recommends that the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) and all NYSUT's affiliates do the same. On Oct. 2, the California Federation of Teachers passed a resolution banning Coke, as did Rutgers AAUP (see item 2 below).
Read resolution in html
Read resolution in pdf

2. AAUP Rutgers Calls on University to Drop Coke
The Rutgers University chapter of the American Association of University Professors passed a resolution last week that, in part, said:

“THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Rutgers AAUP, in solidarity with unions and colleges around the world who are taking similar actions, urge President McCormick not to renew the contract with Coca Cola when it expires in the spring of 2005 and

“BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Rutgers AAUP not serve Coca Cola products at its meetings and urge national AAUP to do the same, and

“FINALLY BE IT RESOLVED that AAUP publicize this issue on its website and in its publications.”
Read Resolution in html
Read Resolution in pdf

3. “Coke isn’t it, Hofstra group says,” Daily News “Hofstra shouldn’t sell itself out to the highest bidder,” said Vanessa Cudabac, a member of Students Against Injustice. “We want to send a message to Coca-Cola that the students disagree with their actions.”
Read article

4.SunTrust Banks Adds New Coke CEO to Board
SunTrust Banks reported that E. Neville Isdell, chairman and chief executive of Coca-Cola Co., has been appointed to their board of directors. This further shows the continued and extensive links between SunTrust, the Bank of Coca-Cola, and The Coca-Cola Co. Remember: You Can't Trust SunTrust, The Bank of Killer Cola!

5. Alternatives to Coke
We now have a list of alternatives to Coca-Cola on our home page. In the past weeks, we suggested alternatives such as Blue Sky, Jones and Stewart’s sodas.
Read List

6. “Workers Rights are Human Rights: A Community-wide Public Event in Observance of International Human Rights Day” at Boston Public Library
Our Director Ray Rogers attended the conference on Sat. Dec. 11 and participated in a “We Have the Power!” panel. A great deal of Campaign literature was distributed and many labor and human rights advocates volunteered to help move the Campaign along in New England.

A powerful documentary, "Hector Giraldo: Trade Unionist (A Colombian Story),” recently produced by Julie E. Rosenberg, was shown. This video is a portrait of Hector Giraldo, a Colombian man whose life is threatened by paramilitaries because of his union work. In the face of death threats Hector decides to leave Colombia and spend a year in the U.S. through an AFL-CIO sponsored program. This superb documentary follows Hector during his time in the U.S. as he works with American unions on their issues while trying to educate Americans about how the US funded Plan Colombia supports paramilitary violence that has threatened his life. The film is about 24 minutes long. To purchase a copy of the film, contact Julie at julieerosenberg@comcast.net .

Union leaders from Colombia received a warm welcome and several standing ovations. At the end of the conference, participants joined in a vigil in front of the Colombian consulate in Copley Square.

7. UAW Local 22 Fundraising Appeal for Campaign
UAW Local 22 published our fundraising appeal in the December issue of their local’s newspaper, The Steward. Perhaps other organizations can follow Local 22's example in order to help the Campaign.
Read appeal

8. No Coke at Tribute to Harry Belafonte
The Working Theater staged “Labor on Broadway: a tribute to Harry Belafonte” on Dec. 13 at 1199/SEIU’s Conference Center. Sponsoring the event was the AFL-CIO and many unions were listed as “Union Partners.”

The Campaign contacted the organizers of the event and asked them to not serve Coke products. We were told that they had received a Campaign leaflet at the Labor at the Crossroads conference (where they also did not serve Coke) and agreed to eliminate Coke from the event.

If you are aware of an event run by those who you think might be sympathetic to the Campaign, contact them and ask them to make sure that their vendors do not serve Coke products at the event.

At these two events, Coke lost "product placement" and business .

9. Poems by Daniel North, from the UK

Turning up the heat
Behind the light hearted appeal
The more sinister side begins to reveal
Brain washed with power, fizzing and rotting
Leaders fallen in the warm Colombian sun
By hired death squads, greed is forever plotting.

Bottlers being ripped off
As the powerful greedily scoff
Toasting with another glass of coke
Whilst the profits overspill with pain
From the blood dripping from the guns smoke.

Control of the government and above the law
People aren’t bubbles, you can just shake and pour
Your facade is decaying, your taste just isn’t as sweet
You can’t keep on ignoring people’s intelligence
As soon as someone decides to turn up the heat.

The Prize Of Harmony
Too many people caught in the beatings
Just because of wanting justice and peace
The batons clubbed over the many heads
Handcuffed, then pushed into police cars
As the blood poured like gallons of crimson grease.
Just because they have had enough of being exploited
By all the damage Coca Cola has done
But we shall not weaken
As we can stand united and keep on trying
Until the prize of harmony is won.

10. Take Actions Against Coke!
a. Send an e-mail to Coke to protest their abuses in Colombia
Send an E-mail

b. Call Coca-Cola and tell them to stop their worldwide abuses at 1-800-GET-COKE.

c. Sign a Petition protesting Coke's abuses:
Since we announced the petition in our newsletter, over 100 signatures were added from all over the world.
Sign the Petition

11. Please send photos, reports of events, etc. for the Campaign website
Please send photos, reports of events, and if you are in a school, union or organization that has banned Coke products, please send us the resolution or description of how the decision was made. We would like the Campaign website to be up-to-date and to share the information with all supporters via our newsletter.

12. E-Mail Alert!

a. We would still appreciate an e-mail to stopkillercoke@aol.com with your name and description of where you live and/or work for our database.

b. We are way behind in responding to the flood of e-mails from all over the world. We are trying to catch up and answer all of them.

c. Please send a phone number and the best times to reach you when you e-mail us and require a response.

Thanks to all. Have a very happy holiday! Let's make 2005 the year we beat Coke!