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May 4, 2004 Student Union Assembly
Re: Violation of UC's Human Rights Code of Conduct Dear Chancellor Chemers, We are writing to draw to your attention to a serious violation of the University's Code of Conduct for Trademark Licensees by one our corporate partners, the Coca-Cola Company. As you know, in January of 2000, the University adopted the Code of Conduct to ensure that the companies with whom we do business respect basic human and labor rights. We are proud that this policy has proven to be an effective tool to eradicate sweatshop working conditions within the global supply chains of our licensees. However, we are concerned that an instance of extraordinarily serious abuse has not been addressed. A growing body of credible reports by reputable organizations has shed light on the conditions of workers producing goods for the Coca-Cola company in Colombia. Within recent years: • Eight workers and union activists have been assassinated by paramilitary groups, some of them attacked within their factory's gates. Numerous others have been kidnapped, tortured, or forced into hiding by paramilitary forces. • There is substantial evidence the groups perpetrating these crimes have worked in collusion with and have been financially supported by plant managers at Coca-Cola's contracted bottling facilities. • The most recent murder attempt occurred on August 22, 2003, when two men riding motorcycles fired shots at Juan Carlos Galvis, a worker leader at Coca-Cola's Barrancabermeja plant. • According to workers and expert observers, Coca-Cola has decined to take minimal precautions to prevent the violence from continuing. Needless to say, we find these abuses deeply troubling and we would like to find a way to remedy the situation. Because Coca-Cola has entered major contracts with the University of California that involve trademark licensing arrangements, the company is subject to the human and labor rights standards of the University's Code of Conduct and the University's methods for enforcing the policy. We would like to schedule a meeting as soon as possible to discuss the situation and seek a solution that upholds the University's standing commitment to human rights and social responsibility. We can be reached at (831) 459-4838. We looking forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, |