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BREAKING NEWS Dietblog, "Diet Coke Plus Faces FDA Warning," by Chris Sparling, January 2, 2008 Read article "The Coca-Cola Company has recently come under fire by the Food and Drug Administration for its reluctance to disclose exactly what the "Plus" in Diet Coke Plus really means. For starters, the FDA isn't exactly thrilled with the concept of fortifying an unhealthy snack drink. Couple that with the fact that the amount of vitamins and minerals added to Diet Coke Plus remains somewhat vague, and it becomes clear why the FDA deemed it appropriate to step in." Associated Press, "FDA warns Coca-Cola over nutritional claims," By Mattew Perrone, December 24, 2008 Read Article "The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to the company, objecting to the product's labeling, which describes the drink as 'Diet Coke with Vitamins and Minerals.' Regulators said the beverage does not have enough nutrients to justify the use of the word 'plus' in its name. According to the agency, foods labeled 'plus' must have at least 10 percent more nutrients than comparable products. Additionally, the FDA said it is inappropriate to add extra nutrients to 'snack foods such as carbonated beverages.' " U.S. News & World Report, "Good Reasons to Avoid Diet Coke Plus, Weight-Loss Supplements," By Deborah Katz, December 24, 2008 Read Article "The Food and Drug Administration has been busy this week, and I think what it is saying warrants a wake-up call—especially for women. Yesterday, the agency said it issued a warning letter to Coca-Cola noting that its Diet Coke Plus soft drink had nutritional claims that shouldn't be placed on an utterly nonnutritious soft drink. Those added vitamins and minerals don't make the beverage any more healthful than, say, Diet Pepsi, the FDA says." China.org.cn, "Lawyers, academics praise students' Coca Cola probe," By Gregor Kneussel and John Sexton, December 31, 2008 Read Article "He reiterated the disadvantages of the agency workers in terms of hygiene, housing, holidays and working hours. Agency staff often worked 12 hours per day for an entire month without a single day off. One worker was found to have worked 318 hours in one month. Yang said the group have photocopies of the relevant documents to support their conclusions. He said the students submitted their findings to Coca Cola but had received no direct answer. Coca Cola had published a reaction on the Internet but hadn't answered the students directly and simply denied illegal practices without addressing the charges specifically." Infoshop News, "China: Coca-Cola 'abused workers' rights', report says," By China Daily, December 22, 2008 Read article "Coca-Cola has come under fire after a private investigation accused it of 'serious infringement' of the rights of its dispatched workers in China. 'These employees are involved in the most dangerous, intense and tiresome labor, work the longest hours, but receive the lowest wage and face arrears with and even cutbacks on their pay,' said a 28-page report written by seven university students after a month of participatory research and released in Beijing on Sunday." The Labor Educator, "Coca-Cola 'Abused Worker Rights' in China, Report States," By Harry Kelber, December 27, 2008 The following report comes from Harry Kelber, The Labor Educator Coca-Cola 'Abused Worker Rights' in China, Report States Coca-Cola came under fire after a private investigation accused it of "serious infringement" of the rights of its dispatched workers in China. The charges against the company were contained in a 28-page report by seven university students after a month of participatory research. The report, released on Dec. 21 in Beijing, stated: "These employees are involved in the most dangerous, intense and tiresome labor, work the longest hours, but receive the lowest wage and face arrears and even cutbacks in their pay," The students collected the information between July and August while working in Coca-Cola's bottlers in Guangzhou and Huiizhou, as well as the company's supplier in Shanghai and other facilities. Dispatched workers are employed by agencies that send them to fill "temporary, supporting or replaceable positions," according to Clause 66 of the Labor Contract Law. The report concludes by demanding that the company apologize to the Chinese people and the dispatched workers. Copies of the report will be sent to the All China Federation of Trade Union (ACFTU) and Coca-Cola China. From our archives on Coke and China May 2007 BBC Report Remember the BBC report that Coca-Cola in China was using prison labor "to work on merchandise intended for the company." From our April 2008 Newsletter: "Four years ago, large Coke shareholder B. Wardlaw predicted at the 2004 Coke shareholders' meeting that the China Olympics created problems for The Coca-Cola Co. 'possible public relations calamity in China' He said: 'As far as my proposal on China business principles which I am bringing to you for the third time [His proposal was voted down all three years by the shareholders.], I introduced this proposal because I, along with many other socially conscious shareholders, are concerned about Coke, its reputation and its share price. As I've said here the last two years, we seem to be heading toward possible public relations calamity in China. So just looking at it from the viewpoint of the company, it makes sense for us to spend more time thinking about, before we go in, we're spending over a $1 billion, what over the last 20 years in China, developing products there. The Olympics are coming to China in 2008 in Beijing. This is a moment where Coca-Cola is going to be highlighted because of our close involvement with the Olympics and the, as someone has said, as a recognized product in the world. I think what is happening, is that we are still not, as a company, paying enough attention to what could happen in China. Every human rights abuse possible has been committed in China...' Ray Rogers Speaks at Mt. Holyoke College-Part 1, Massachusetts, November 20, 2008 Watch Video re: Introduction Ray Rogers Speaks at Mt. Holyoke College-Part 2, Massachusetts, November 20, 2008 Watch Video re: "Coke's refusal to debate Ray Rogers" Ray Rogers Speaks at Mt. Holyoke College-Part 3, Massachusetts, November 20, 2008 Watch Video re: "Ray Reveals the Real 'World of Coca-Cola' " Report: KillerCoke Campaign Launches in Norwich and at the University of East Anglia See all photos and slideshow Report from the Campaign in England "It's been a busy couple of months in Norwich as the University of East Anglia's Killer Coke Campaign joined forces with Norfolk Latin America Forum and the Jamnesty Junk Band to kick of a season of events raising awareness of the crimes of Coke both on campus and around the city of Norwich. "Activist, comedian and general inspiration Mark Thomas was in town, so what better time to launch the campaign. Mark's show was great as he recalled his experiences uncovering Coca-Cola's dubious ethical legacy from sponsoring Hitler Youth in Nazi Germany to water depletion in India to trade union busting and murder in Colombia. Norwich KillerCoke collected lots of signatures from people pledging to boycott Coca-Cola until they clean up their act. "The local group followed up the Mark Thomas show in November with a screening of the Mark Thomas' documentary about the highly unethical corporation with live music from Hazel Marsh and Chilean activist Mario Gomez. There was a prize draw with attendees winning KillerCoke t-shirts and DVDs. "On Thursday 24th UEA played host to a Colombian student activist and political asylum seeker now resident in the U.K. The audience was told of the state collusion in paramilitary violence against students, trade unionists and members of the indigenous community. "Saturday 29th November saw the campaign take to the streets with a mock funeral. Joined by the incredibly loud Jamnesty Junk Band and over 40 volunteers dressed in appropriate funeral attire, the Campaign marched through the streets spreading the word as Norwich citizens went about their early Christmas shopping. "In the New Year UEA KillerCoke will be pushing for a boycott of all Coca-Cola products on the UEA Campus and within Student's Union stores to send a clear message to Coca-Cola that we will not tolerate human rights abuses in the name of profits. Norwich KillerCoke and Norfolk Latin America Forum will also be hosting a series of FairTrade Cola tastings throughout the city, so keep your eyes peeled for upcoming events! "For more information or to get involved email killercokeUEA@gmail.com or visit www.NLASF.org." Toronto Star, "City council passes bag fee and bottle ban: Councillors also vote to force take-out restaurants to develop food containers made of recyclable plastic," By John Spears, December 2, 2008 Read Article "Toronto shoppers will start paying five cents for throw-away plastic shopping bags starting June 1, Toronto council has decided. And despite a determined lobby from bottled water companies to block the measure, councillors voted to ban the sale or distribution of bottled water immediately at City Hall and the city's civic centres where contracts permit." Toronto Star, "Toronto stood up to bottled water industry," By Tony Clarke, December 11, 2008 Read Article "Toronto's decision last week to ban the sale and distribution of bottled water on city premises was a watershed moment for water justice advocates the world over. What was truly significant about Toronto's action was not that it banned an environmentally destructive product, but that it included a commitment to ensuring access to tap water in all city facilities." SHROC VII [Southern Human Rights' Organizers' Conference] Declared a Coke-Free Zone! We received an email today [Dec. 9] from the Southern Coalition for Social Justice: "...Just as we did for SHROC VI in Houston December 2006. We successfully got the Radisson to contractually agree that no Coke products will be served at the conference this year. SHROC will be declared a Coke Free Zone! Check out the website for the SHROC VII conference Photos from SHROC in 2006 The Maine Campus, "Coke 'killers' on prowl at UMaine," By Aislinn Sarnacki, November 24, 2008 Read Article "Pepsi, Coca-Cola, A&W and Jones - all a part of the same carbonated family? Not according to Killer Coke, a campaign that has reached the University of Maine. UMaine's 10-year contract with Coca-Cola will expire on June 30, 2009...The Campaign Against Killer Coke began in April 2003. The small organization spreads the message that Coca-Cola is involved in numerous unethical practices in several countries. The main goal is to encourage boycotts on Coca-Cola products." India Resource Center, "Coca-Cola's Latest Scam - Water Neutrality," by Amit Srivastava , November 25, 2008 Read Article "Becoming water neutral is impossible, and Coca-Cola is very well aware of this. But matters like that have never stopped the company from making preposterous claims, however misleading and troublesome they may be. What is surprising, however, is the complete lack of scrutiny that Coca-Cola is subject to by the corporate social responsibility community and the media. Allowing Coca-Cola to get away with such a disingenuous plan significantly weakens the core aims of corporate social responsibility as well as objective reporting and makes CSR nothing more than an extension of public relations for companies." Two Videos from The Chloe Show on the Campaign Watch "The Chloe Show-Killer Coke" Watch the first Video from The Chloe Show. Chloe speaks about the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke at about 1:15 into this video. Belfast Telegraph, "TEEU urges members to boycott Coca-Cola," November 23, 2008 "Trade Union members were urged to choose Pepsi over Coca-Cola. "The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union said Coca-Cola's policies are anti-union and unethical, after it closed its Drogheda plant earlier this year with the loss of 250 jobs. "It wants its members to boycott the company's products. "TEEU spokesperson Arthur Hall said consumers need to use their power and think about how they spend their money." International Labor Organization, "Report Evaluation Mission Coca-Cola Bottling Plants in Colombia 30 June - 11 July 2008" Read the ILO Report "...the Mission found that there appears to be a link between outsourcing and the fall in union membership and/or the fact that these workers do not organize. "One union representative (SINTRAINDEGA), from the Bogota South plant, said that "with the company's hiring system, the union is destined to disappear... In the space of one year we have lost 100 members." [Another union,] USITRAG, said: "The main problem is that very few have a direct relationship with the enterprise. This is due to the way in which the enterprise hires workers who provide certain services; the problem is the high incidence of subcontracting. Because of this workers are unable to organize and the future of the union is in danger." "The SINALTRAINAL representatives in the same plant agreed, observing that "Union membership has been decimated as a result of various ploys used by the enterprise such as the reinforcement of the accord [collective accords are agreements between employers and non-union workers]. All the unions are dwindling because the enterprise is standing in their way..." The outsourcing of certain areas of the operation processes and, increasingly, of the production processes themselves, makes it difficult for the workers concerned to form or join unions..." Exposing Coke's Lies About ILO Colombian Probe: the Campaign's Response to the ILO Report," November 19, 2008 Read the Campaign's Response. "Coke claimed: 'On March 2nd, the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) announced that it had requested the International Labor Organization (ILO) to investigate and evaluate past and present labor relations and workers' rights practices of the Coca-Cola bottling operations in Colombia...'"Coke's claims were contradicted by the IUF, Coke representatives and the ILO: 1. The IUF never asked for such an investigation. The IUF's Ron Oswald: "Well, he [Coca-Cola Chairman and CEO E. Neville Isdell] was wrong, and they know he was wrong...Our proposal to the ILO was very clear: we did not ask them to do an investigation into criminal or murderous events in the 1990s...I don't think they've got the competence to do that, frankly... There are still calls for Coke to agree to an independent investigation of those incidents and that's something we thought Coke should have agreed to many years ago." 2. The Company never supported such an investigation. Coca-Cola's Dana Bolden wrote: "The agreed-upon scope of the assessment [in Colombia] was always of current workplace practices." 3. The ILO never agreed to conduct such an investigation. The ILO's Sally Paxton said: The ILO would at most be carrying out an "assessment of current working conditions at enterprises in Colombia" and not an "investigation" of The Coca-Cola Co. or past labor practices or human rights abuses of its bottlers. Washington Square News," Coke ban vote pushed to Feb.," By Arielle Milkman, December 1, 2008 Read article "The ban, enacted in December 2005, prohibits the sale of Coca-Cola products on campus until the company agrees to an independent assessment of its labor practices in Colombia following allegations that it sponsored the murder of several union leaders at its Colombian bottling plant... "The ILO report concluded that though Coca-Cola has enforced child labor laws and has encouraged equality and nondiscrimination in the workplace, not all of its workers have benefited. Since the company outsources many of its positions to subcontractors in Colombia, not all workers share the same rights as direct Coca-Cola employees." PBS, "Coca-Cola, Indian Farmers Compete for Water Supply," The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, November 18, 2008 Watch Video Read Text of Segment "The India Resource Center worked closely with Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) producers to highlight the critical campaign against Coca-Cola in Kala Dera in the state of Rajasthan. The story aired on NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on November 17, 2008 which has a daily viewership of 2.7 million in the US. While we think that the story missed some key points and could have been much stronger, we welcome the national attention nevertheless." PinoyPress, "Aspartame: Sweet, Sweet Poison," By Carlos H. Conde, November 25, 2008 Read Article "Reading all the stuff about aspartame could make your head explode. But what convinced me that aspartame is not safe are not just the studies that have found its link to cancer but also the efforts of Donald Rumsfield and Searle/Monsanto in ramming this product down our throats. Monsanto, as you know, is the world's leading producer of genetically modified products - another innovation that many are convinced has already wrought havoc on human life and the ecosystem - and uses not just money and influence but also threat and intimidation on those who go against it, as this Vanity Fair investigative report makes clear. Indeed, Monsanto's track record alone is enough to convince me that this product can kill me." India Resource Center, "Norway Students Vote to Restrict Coca-Cola: Seek Ethical Alternatives to Coca-Cola," November 11, 2008 Read Release "Students at the University of Oslo have voted overwhelmingly to restrict the dominant presence of Coca-Cola products on campus, and introduce ethical alternatives to Coca-Cola on campus. In a resolution passed yesterday at the University of Oslo Welfare Council (Velferdstinget I Oslo), the student body will now seek to restrict significantly the size of Coca-Cola's contract, offer alternative beverages that are ethical and fair trade as well as adopt more stringent criteria for ensuring that companies that do business with the University of Oslo have strong environmental and ethical records. The student body will also inform Coca-Cola of their decision to restrict Coca-Cola, citing the company's practices in India." The Miscellany News, "Administration must act on Coke resolution," By Reed Dunlea, November 5, 2008 Read Opinion Piece "On Oct. 10, the Vassar Student Association (VSA) Council voted to support "replacing the sale of Coca-Cola products on campus with a viable alternative company (or companies)." The resolution and the Vassar Kick Coke Campaign (a coalition of six VSA organizations) urge the administration to remove all Coca-Cola products from campus. A whopping 68 percent of students who responded to their VSA representatives' requests for feedback on the resolution supported kicking Coke." The Miscellany News, "VSA Council [Vassar College] passes resolution advocating the removal of Coca-Cola products from campus," By Matthew Brock, November 3, 2008 Read Article "At the Vassar Student Association (VSA) Council meeting on Nov. 2, Council passed the Kick Coke campaign's resolution by a vote of 14 to 8-only one vote above the majority required to pass..." "Reed Dunlea '09, a member of the Kick Coke group, opened the discussion at Sunday's meeting, addressing some of the largest concerns raised about the campaign over the past week. Dunlea explained that the resolution, which states the VSA Council's support for removing Coke products from campus, was not a question of student choice. "This campaign is about the institution and community of Vassar College lending its support to people who've been negatively affected by Coke's practices," said Dunlea. He reminded the audience that even if Coca-Cola products are banned from campus, students can choose to purchase the products off-campus." Read Adopted Resolution The Kick Coke Campaign, Vassar College, February 22, 2007 IBEW Local 2323 [International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers] Executive Board votes to eliminate Coke products from union meetings and events, Oct. 30, 2008 This motion was presented at the October 30, 2008 Executive Board meeting. The motion was made, seconded and approved to support the boycott. Information explaining the reason for the boycott will be distributed to the membership of IBEW Local 2323 at union meetings. "I make a motion that IBEW Local 2323 will support the boycott of Coca Cola products that include Dasani, Fanta, Minute Maid, Nestea, Powerade and Sprite at our union meetings and events. "Additionally, we will support trade unionists in their efforts to represent Coke workers in Columbia and other locations worldwide." Press Release, "Coca-Cola Sustainability Review Omits India," By India Resource Center Read Release "The Coca-Cola company released its 2007/2008 Sustainability Review yesterday, and surprisingly, critical issues facing the company's operations in India do not find mention in the review. The Coca-Cola company gives itself high marks in its sustainability report which covers areas such as the workplace, environment and community engagement. However, the omission of the issues facing the company in India - various community campaigns accusing the company of creating water shortages and pollution - raise the question whether Coca-Cola's sustainability report is an attempt to manufacture a green image of itself rather than actually addressing the critical challenges facing the company's operations." KillerCola Kills Click here or above to watch video The Globe and Mail, "Maude Barlow: the Al Gore of H2O," By Erin Anderssen, October 25, 2008 Read Article "The outspoken Canadian activist tells Erin Anderssen that she will bring the same doggedness she displayed in opposing NAFTA and globalization to her new post as the UN's senior adviser on water issues. "...Ms. Barlow sat for two days in a small village with mothers who were holding a silent vigil to protest against a Coca-Cola plant that was siphoning off their water to bottle it. She was tear-gassed during an anti-globalization rally at the World Trade Organization meeting in Hong Kong in 2005." Interview with Maude Barlow, Democracy Now! September 12, 2008 Watch the Interview Song Video, "Pour Coca Cola Down the Drain," By Gary Kaye Click above or here to watch video An army marches on its stomach An army falters on its thirst Coca Cola had the ans wer And now the world lives with this curse So the Nazis placed an order They said it's good for heart and brain Coca Cola's very evil Pour Coca Cola down the drain Read the rest of the lyrics Video, "The Cost of a Coke 2nd Edition," By Matt Beard Matt Beard's new movie, "THE COST OF A COKE: 2ND EDITION" has been released. Click above or here to see the video.You can also go to Matt Beard's new website, www.BattleforJustice.com, to see this and other videos. Email Matt at justice.beard@gmail.com for info on how you can get a DVD with an Update on THE ILO's "INVESTIGATION" into the murders and corruption. The Guardian, "To Die For: Being a trade union organiser in bottling plants used by Coca-Cola in Colombia is a dangerous business - they are prime targets for death squads. Can Coke be held responsible? Mark Thomas follows the trail from Bogotá to New York," Excerpt from "Belching Out the Devil," By Mark Thomas, September 20, 2008 Read Excerpt "When I asked Coca-Cola about these talks, it portrayed them as 'fruitful and informative'. The purpose of the talks, the company said, was 'to assess whether a mediated resolution of the parties' differences could be achieved'. In short, it was looking to settle out of court, and with a settlement such as this comes money - a lot of money. How much? A barrowful. Although I cannot disclose the exact sum offered to Sinaltrainal and the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, it is my understanding that it had six noughts at the end of a dollar sign and a couple of digits in between. "If the company was offering money, what were the conditions attached to it? I spoke to Ed Potter, the Coca-Cola Company's global workplace rights director, a man with intimate knowledge of these negotiations. I said to him that the company had history in this department: 'Financial settlements are reached, but part of that financial settlement is that you don't criticise us again, you shut up, you go away.' Potter replied, 'All I will say, as a general matter, is we've had several different resolutions ... You've described one of them.' "Sinaltrainal did not use the words 'fruitful and informative' to describe the talks. 'We were in a process that lasted almost a year and a half, where we talk and talk and talk with them in order to find a solution to the conflict - and it didn't give us any result at all,' says Edgar Paez, the union's international officer. He is sitting in his office, by the same table where Giraldo and Manco gave their testimonies. The only reason Coca-Cola negotiated, he believes, was 'because they don't want us to keep reporting them [campaigning] ... What the company wanted was to buy the silence of the people involved. They give some money to the victims in order not to denounce the problem.' The negotiations broke down in early 2008. Coca-Cola said 'no final resolution was possible. An impasse was reached and no further discussions are anticipated at this time.' Arguably, the impasse was a result of the conditions of the settlement: Coke would pay millions of dollars, but anyone working for Coca-Cola Femsa and involved in the lawsuit had to leave their jobs - they could no longer work for Coke's contractors. But more than this, they would be legally bound never to criticise Coca-Cola again. According to Paez, this would apply 'not only in Colombia but everywhere in the whole world. They wanted us to sign an agreement that no one would denounce Coca-Cola any more, for the rest of their lives.' In effect, the agreement, if signed, would prevent them from campaigning against any multinational that Coca-Cola had business with. From the moment they signed until the day they died." Mark Thomas on 'Belching Out the Devil' Mark Thomas read from his new book-Part 1 Mark Thomas read from his new book-Part 2 Mark Thomas read from his new book-Part 3 Coke vs. Pepsi: The Truth is Out Video, "The Hard Truth About a Soft Drink," By Natalie Bogard Click here to watch video The Canberra Times, "Coke draws the fizz for myth-busting ad," By Jullian Lee, October 15, 2008 Read Article "The Australian Dental Association has called on the company [Coca-Cola] to withdraw the full-page ad - which busts myths that fizzy drinks are unhealthy - saying the information was either ambiguous or wrong. The association took exception to the claim that the ad busted the "myth" that Coke rots teeth. "Its president, Dr John Matthews, said: 'We shouldn't rely upon Coca-Cola for giving us dental health advice. They have underestimated the problem and put a spin on it. Most people know Coke is bad for them but they continue to do it so I don't know why Coca-Cola feels the need to do this.' " Metrolife Books, " 'Ice-cold Coca-Cola: Belching Out The Devil,' by Mark Thomas," Aricle by Sharon Lougher - Tuesday, October 14, 2008 Read Article "As a child, Mark Thomas adored Coca-Cola. He'd drink it whenever he visited his much-loved nan - a warm family image that would doubtless play nicely with the company's brand managers. "A few decades on, and this formidable comic campaigner continues to unravel claims, first highlighted in his Dispatches programme for Channel 4 last year, of the company's alleged corporate irresponsibility regarding the behaviour of those employed within its complicated web of franchisees and distribution deals. "After a nauseatingly saccharine experience at the Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta, he uncovers many fascinating case studies: in Colombia, union members claim they have been badly treated by bottling facility managers; in India, Coca-Cola factories are using so much water the land is sucked dry. "What emerges is a disheartening and frustrating tale of a company seemingly trying to extricate itself from being ethically liable for those who work under what it calls 'the Coca-Cola system'. "Thomas is effortlessly funny and vivid in his description of every furrowed unionist brow and makeshift protest shelter. The company mostly stonewalls his efforts to make it redress the balance but Thomas's study isn't in vain: if this book doesn't make you boycott The Coke Side Of Life, few things will." S&B News, "Book Festival: A look behind the Coca-Cola brand," By Richard Pain, September 10, 2008 Read Article "POLITICAL activist, comedian and writer, Mark Thomas, provides one of the standout attractions of the Guildford Book Festival when he arrives to give an insight into his latest work, Belching Out The Devil...Focusing on the workers and events that are not part of the company's multimillion-dollar advertising campaigns, he exposes a series of provocative tales." Metro.co.uk, "Five questions for... Mark Thomas," by DAVID BALDWIN, October 5, 2008 Read Article "Both cheeky comic and committed campaigner, Mark Thomas is on the case of Coca-Cola in his new book, 'Belching Out The Devil', which takes the company to task with accusations of human rights abuses." India Resource Center, Review of "Belching Out the Devil: Global Adventures with Coca-Cola" Read Review Purchase 'Belching Out the Devil' in the UK Purchase 'Belching Out the Devil' in the United States theage.com.au, "The bitter-sweet truth about vitamin water," By Mark Russell, September 21, 2008 Read Article "Vitamin and sports water drinks are so laden with sugar and caffeine that claims about their health-giving benefits should be taken with a grain of salt, nutritionists have warned. "Consumer advocate group Choice says an unwitting public is being deliberately misled about the health benefits of enhanced water drinks, with some 500-millilitre varieties containing eight teaspoons of sugar, high levels of caffeine and a host of additives, including flavours and colours. While it purported to be a healthy beverage, a 575-millilitre bottle of Nutrient Water contained seven teaspoons of sugar, she said, and Smart Water's 500-millilitre bottle had eight teaspoons. A 375-millilitre can of Coca-Cola contains 10 teaspoons of sugar." Democracy Now! "FLOW: For Love of Water...New Film Examines Global Water Crisis," September 12, 2008 Read about film and watch the DN! segment FLOW: For Love of Water is a new documentary premiering in New York and Los Angeles today that takes on the global water crisis. We speak with filmmaker Irena Salina and water rights activist, Maude Barlow, head of the Council of Canadians, founder of the Blue Planet Project and author of several books, including Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water. Interview with: Maude Barlow, head of the Council of Canadians, Canada's largest public advocacy organization, and founder of the Blue Planet Project. She is the author of sixteen books, including Blue Gold. Her latest is Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water. She is a recipient of Sweden's Right Livelihood Award, known as the "Alternative Nobel." Irena Salina, award-winning filmmaker. She is the director of FLOW. Click here to go to the film's website. The New York Times, "Flow: The War Between Public Health and Private Interests," By Jeannette Catsoulis, September 12, 2008 Read Review "A documentary and a three-alarm warning, "Flow" dives into our planet's most essential resource - and third-largest industry - to find pollution, scarcity, human suffering and corporate profit. And that's just in the United States." There is a segment in the film highlighting the demonstrations at the Coke bottling plant in Plachimada, India. These demonstrations led to the closing of the plant. India Resource Center, "Coca-Cola Continues Unethical and Dishonest Practices in India, Company Must Follow Recommendations of Company Funded Study: Shut Down Kala Dera Bottling Plant," By Amit Srivastava, September 12, 2008 Read Article " It is said that those who don't learn from the mistakes of the past are destined to repeat them. It seems that the Coca-Cola has not learnt any lessons from its past mistakes in India. The manner is which the Coca-Cola company has decided to deal with another formidable community-led campaign in India — in the village of Kala Dera in the state of Rajasthan — is indicative of the arrogance and impunity of the company that has landed it in trouble before. And Coca-Cola in India is in for a rude awakening, once again." The Oregonian, "For bottled water, we pay twice -- not counting all the unrecycled bottles, By Shelby Wood, September 12, 2008 Read Article "Coca-Cola and Pepsi, makers of the No. 1 and 2 top-selling waters under the Dasani and Aquafina labels, have been pressured to spell out that their products begin as plain old tap water, from public supplies already deemed safe to drink by the Environmental Protection Agency... "Bottled water, of course, doesn't cost $4 a gallon. It costs $5.76 a gallon (for a bottle of Dasani, at 4.5 cents per fluid ounce). The same amount of Fiji ("Every drop is green") will set you back $7.55. Celebrity-endorsed, electrolyte-enhanced Smartwater ('the water with all the answers') is $6.14. Arrowhead, in an 'Eco-Shape' bottle, is a relative bargain, at $4.48 per gallon." Trailer, "The Cost of a Coke: 2nd Edition," By Matt Beard Watch Trailer The Cost of a Coke: 2nd Edition Coming Soon! CHINA.ORG.CN, "Coca-Cola accused of manipulating public opinion," By Zhou Jing, September 9, 2008 Read Article "On September 5, Qian Weiqing, a lawyer at the Dacheng Law firm, was invited to participate in an online discussion about the proposed takeover. He said that given the state of public opinion and the provisions of the Anti-Monopoly Law, 'the prospects for the purchase do not look optimistic,' adding that 'public opinion has taken a nationalistic turn on the issue, and is likely to directly or indirectly influence the regulator's decision,' and that consequently 'the bid will have a tough ride at the Ministry of Commerce.' "The insider said that soon after the interview, Coca Cola called the Dacheng Law, demanding Qian withdraw his comments, adding pointedly that Coca Cola employed many of Dacheng's lawyers as counselors. 'Which is more important, just think it over!' was the gist of Coca Cola's message - according to the source. A few hours later, Qian announced that he had withdrawn his comments." David Rovics, "Drink of the Death Squads." Video Watch David Rovics sing "Drink of the Death Squads" India Resource Center, Press Release, "Community Rallies for Coca-Cola Plant Closure: Demands that Coke Study Recommendations be Implemented ," August 26, 2008 Read Release "Residents living around Coca-Cola's bottling plant in Kala Dera, near Jaipur in Rajasthan, India marched and rallied yesterday demanding the closure of the bottling plant. Nearly 60 villages surrounding Coca-Cola's bottling plant in Kala Dera have complained of severe water shortages since the bottling plant began operations in the area. " Daily News, "Spotlight on Great People: Corporate Campaign Inc.'s Ray Rogers banks on finance to defeat big business," By Clem Richardson, August 22, 2008 Read Article " 'A lot of people don't understand where power comes from,', Rogers said. 'It comes from organized concentrations of money and people. I realized that inherent with large organizations, like unions and all the members they represent, there is a lot of financial power there that had never been tapped. That financial power was and is being used against them.' Article corrections: 1. In discussing the campaign to win a TWU Local 100 contract in 1999, there was no strike. The article should have stated: "The contract was settled shortly afterward." 2. TIAA-CREF has divested itself of more than one and a quarter million shares of Coca-Cola stock, not a quarter million. CIEPAC, "Coca-Cola La historia negra de las aguas negras," By Gustavo Soto (En Español) Read Document The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Brits work to replicate Coke flavor," By Shelley Emling, August 19, 2008 Read Article "The volunteers who run the Cube Microplex, a popular alternative film venue, don't agree on everything. But there's one issue that has total support: the anti-Coca-Cola movement. Opposed to Coca-Cola for what they regard as the company's 'dodgy' business and environmental practices, the operators of the Cube have never served Coke." Commondreams.org, "Coca-Cola Plant Shut Down in India: Community Welcomes Decision, Company Cites 'Unbearable' Financial Losses," By India Resource Center, August 14, 2008 Read Release " 'Community campaigns in India have shut down Coca-Cola bottling plants in Plachimada and in Balia, and now we will ensure that Coca-Cola bottling plants in Mehdiganj and Kala Dera also meet the same fate,' said Nandlal Master of Lok Samiti, a community group challenging Coca-Cola's operations in Mehdiganj, near Varanasi. Lok Samiti worked very closely with the community in Sinhachawar towards the plant's closure. The Coca-Cola company is also the target of intense community campaigns in Mehdiganj and Kala Dera in India for creating water shortages and pollution. The company was forced to agree to an assessment of its bottling operations in India as a result of a sustained international campaign. The assessment, released in January 2008, was a damning indictment of Coca-Cola's water management practices in India. The assessment recommends that Coca-Cola shut down its bottling plant in Kala Dera because the plant contributes significantly to water shortages in the area. OPSEU (Ontario Public Service Employees Union), "International Labour Updates: Coca-Cola products banned by OPSEU," July 28, 2008 Read Update "We are requesting that locals contact their employers and request that Coca-Cola products be kept out of the workplaces and work meetings." CNN.Money, "UPDATE: Colombian Bogota Fines Femsa COP201 Million For Pollution," August 12, 2008 Read Article "The council of Colombian capital Bogota fined the local unit of Mexico-based soft-drink bottler Coca-Cola Femsa SA (KOF) 201 million Colombian pesos, or about $110,000, for dumping industrial waste waters in marshes located in the city's outskirts...The council's environment secretary's office said Femsa had been polluting the wetlands with industrial waste waters since 2006." Mark Thomas, "DISPATCHES: Mark Thomas on Coca-Cola," Channel 4, England Watch entire 48-minute film David Rovics, "Drink of the Death Squads." Videos Watch David Rovics sing "Drink of the Death Squads" and read about the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke Click here or below to see the video. Find a leaflet customized for your campus, union or community. If you don't see it here, contact us at stopkillercoke@aol.com and we will customize one for you. Go to our list of customized flyers Click here for Coke Flyer Side 1 Click here for Coke Flyer Side 2 For more 2008 News, click here. FAIR USE NOTICE. Many of these documents contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. The Campaign to Stop Killer Coke is making this article available in our efforts to advance the understanding of corporate accountability, human rights, labor rights, social and environmental justice issues. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

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	THE TWO FACES OF COCA-COLA Isidro Segundo Gil, an employee at a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Colombia, was killed at his workplace by paramilitary thugs. His children, now living in hiding with relatives, understand all too well why their homeland is known as "a country where union work is like carrying a tombstone on your back. Learn More Douglas Daft, former Chairman and CEO of the Coca-Cola Co., raked in more than $105 million in compensation for 2001. He owns 3.5 million Coke shares and 9,413 shares of SunTrust, where he sits on the Board of Directors. Since this brochure was written, there have been a number of changes in the Board of Directors Learn More Read "The SunTrust/Coca-Cola $ix-Pack: Getting Away with Murder" Read "The SunTrust/Coca-Cola $ix-Pack: Getting Away with Murder" — En Español
Dear Coca-Cola Board Members, I am shocked to learn of your indifference to the safety of workers who bottle your products. There are undisputed reports that Coca-Cola bottling plant managers in Colombia, South America, allowed and encouraged paramilitary death squads to murder, torture and kidnap SINALTRAINAL leaders and members in an effort to crush their union. Since this leaflet was written, there have been a number of changes in the Board of Directors Download Petition Download Petition (ESP) Download Petition (FRA) Download Petition (ITA) Download Petition (GER)
Dear SunTrust Banks Board Members, If "The Real Thing" won't do the right thing in Colombia and elsewhere, SunTrust should sever all ties to Coca-COla." Download Petition
Royal Bank of Canada: 'Dump Reinhard from Your Board or We'll Dump You!" Download Petition in English Download Petition in French
Stand up for Labor and Human Rights Boycott SunTrust, the Bank of Killer Coke Download Flyer
Find a leaflet customized for your college, university, high school, union or community. If you don't see it here, contact us at stopkillercoke@aol.com and we will customize one for you. Go to our list of customized flyers Click here for Coke Flyer Side 1 — Click here for Coke Flyer Side 2

REPORTS Click here for our Reports section Coca-Cola Board of Directors The following information is to help individuals and groups communicate their feelings directly to the top policymakers of The Coca-Cola Co. Groups may want to organize leafletting, demonstrations and letter writing campaigns at the principal offices of these directors: View Contact List SINALTRAINAL et al, v. The Coca-Cola Company, et al., March 31, 2008 View Plaintiffs' Opening Brief Summary: Advancing the legal efforts began with the United Steelworkers Union in 2001, IRAdvocates is working to hold Coca-Cola accountable for the murder and torture of trade union leaders in Colombia. This case also pioneered the use of a focused corporate campaign tied to the demands made by the Plaintiffs (see www.Killercoke.org). The case is currently pending in the 11th Circuit, and the parties have been in protracted discussions in an effort to resolve the issues. Status: Plaintiffs' Opening Brief in Sinaltrainal, et. al. v. The Coca-Cola Company, et. al. was filed in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals on March 31, 2008 International Labor Rights Fund, "ILRF & USW Bring New Complaint Against Coca-Cola, Alleging Complicity With the Colombian DAS and AUC Paramilitaries In Killing of Labor Leader," June 2, 2006 Read Press Advisory "On Friday, June 2, 2006, the ILRF and USW filed a new Alien Tort Claims Act case against the Coca-Cola Company and its Latin American Bottler, Coca-Cola FEMSA. This new Complaint charges that managers at the Coke bottling plant in Barranquilla, Colombia conspired with both the Colombian Administrative Department of Security ("DAS") and the AUC paramilitaries to intimidate, threaten and ultimately kill SINALTRAINAL trade union leader Adolfo de Jesus Munera on August 31, 2002. The Complaint further allege that, despite a number of warnings to Coca-Cola management in Atlanta that the management at the Barranquilla bottler has continued to meet with and provide plant access to paramilitaries, the paramilitary infiltration of this bottling plant continues unabated to this day. Meanwhile, these same paramilitaries have continued to threaten SINALTRAINAL members and leaders with death and even kidnapped the child of one SINALTRAINAL leader to pressure him into refraining from his union activities." Read 2006 Complaint ATCA Complaint Against Coke — Coca-Cola (Coke) Sued for Human Rights Abuses in Colombia: United Steel Workers Union and the International Labor Rights Fund, July 20, 2001 Read 2001 Complaint "10 Critical Talking Points," February 14, 2007 Read Talking Points in html Webcast of 2008 Coca-Cola annual shareholders meeting, April 16, 2008 Watch Webcast of 2008 Shareholders Meeting. Webcast of 2007 Coca-Cola annual shareholders meeting, April 18, 2007 Watch Webcast of 2007 Shareholders Meeting Webcast of Coca-Cola's 2006 Annual Shareholders' Meeting, April 19, 2006 Watch Coke's 2006 Annual Shareholders' Meeting The Coca-Cola Co., 2005 Annual Shareowners' Meeting Webcast, April 19, 2005 Watch Coke's 2005 Annual Shareholders' Meeting "University of Michigan Falls Prey to Another Coca-Cola PR Scam," Campaign to Stop Killer Coke April 17, 2006 Press Release/Report WB11, New York Feature on the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke On July 11, 2005, WB11, one of New York City area's major television stations aired a special "Fact Finders Report" on the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke called "Coca-Cola Faces Human Rights Violations." Interviewed are Campaign Director Ray Rogers, Hofstra University Campaign Activist Vanessa Cudabac, New York City Council Member Hiram Monserrate, New York City Comptroller William Thompson and American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Secretary-Treasurer Terry Stapleton. This excellent feature was watched by millions on WB11 and, as we found out from supporters, watched by others around the world on satellite television. See WB11 News Feature Read the Campaign's response to Coke's lies in this feature. Video, "State of the Union" The story of Coke in Colombia, produced by Insight News for Channel 4 of Great Britain in Spanish with English subtitles Watch Video "Unthinkable! Undrinkable! A Campus Campaign Overview," a USAS Campus Guide Read USAS Campaign Overview War on Want, Press Release and Report, "Coca-Cola under fire as World Cup comes to London, Released March 20, 2006 Read Release Read Report, "Coca-Cola: The Alternative Report" En Español War on Want's Coke Campaign Site Colombia Solidarity Campaign, "The Anti-Coke Manifesto," By Andy Higginbottom, Secretary, Colombia Solidarity Campaign Read Manifesto Read Manifesto in Italian LABOR AND HUMAN RIGHTS: 'The Real Thing' in Colombia, By Lesley Gill Read Report "Inside the Real Thing: Corporate profile on Coca-Cola Corporation," Report by the Polaris Institute (Canada) Read the report in pdf format McMaster University, "Anti-Monopoly, For Choice: An Evaluation of Coca-Cola Ltd.'s Presence at McMaster University" Read Pamphlet NYC fact-finding delegation's report on human rights violations by Coke — Final Report, NYC Council Member Hiram Monserrate, April 2004 View Full Report in pdf — html View Appendices Monserrate Report in Italian -- pdf format Monserrate Report in Italian -- html format International Labor Rights Fund, "Another "Classic Coke" Move to Deny and Delay Accountability for Human Rights Violations in Colombia," March 4, 2006 Read Response "Proposal of the New York City Pension Funds for an Independent Investigation of Allegations Made Against Coca-Cola Bottling Plants in Colombia Read Proposal and Letter from the Office of the Comptroller of New York City How Credible is Coca-Cola? Beyond Coke's Crimes in Colombia [January 2004]: This is a summary of Coke's abuses outside Colombia which should be very useful for public relations and organizing efforts. We're anxious to receive articles and other information that we can use to further document the case against Coke. We believe the evidence shows that Coca-Cola and its corporate network is rife with immorality, corruption and complicity in murder. Since Coca-Cola consistently fails to live up to the standards for "corporate responsibility" as set out in its own "code of business conduct," this report should be helpful to students, faculty and others seeking to rescind, not renew or not consider contracts with Coke. View Full Report Seven Points to Settlement Read the Seven Points. "ILRF Director Terry Collingsworth Response to Coke's Denials," July 8, 2004 Read Response Schools Active in the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke Read Report Schools that have removed Coke from campus Read Report "Why Does the IUF Attack SINALTRAINAL?" Read Report in pdf format. Read Report in html format. Historic Settlement: Ingram vs. The Coca-Cola Company (for racial discrimination) Read About the Lawsuit United Students Against Sweatshops' Statement, "Cal-Safety Compliance Corporation is Not a Credible Monitor for Coca-Cola's Labor Practices," April 15, 2005 Read Report "… there are ample grounds to conclude the Cal-Safety is unfit to monitor Coca-Cola's labor practices in Colombia. Indeed, given its repeated failure to find egregious violations in high profile cases of worker abuse, its status as a for-profit corporation, its practice of monitoring generating revenue from the major corporations for whom it monitors, its lack of experience with the core issue of freedom of association, its flawed methodology in visiting factories and conducting worker interviews, and its utter lack of transparency, Cal-Safety should easily be ruled out as a candidate for credibly investigating the case of Coca-Cola in Colombia." Coca-Cola Brands (It should be noted that some of the listed brands are NOT produced by Coke, but are distributed by Coke in some regions, including A&W and Schweppes.) The Coca-Cola Co. The Coca-Cola Company's Brands (A-Z) Full List Responsible Shopper Responsible Shopper (Co-op America): Coca-Cola Analysis, Brands and Companies Analysis of Coke Alternatives to Coca-Cola (In addition to these alternative companies, you might find local beverage companies. In some regions, Coca-Cola might be distributors of the alternative beverages; for example, in some regions, Cadbury Schweppes products such as Dr. Pepper are distributed by Coke.) Read List of Coke's Competitors Adirondack Beverages United States, mostly in the Northeast Afri-Cola, Germany Ben Shaws (UK) Big Cola, Mexico Blue Sky Natural Soda, United States Breizh Cola, Brittany, France Boylan's Premium Beverages, Williamsville, New York, US Charlie's Soda Co., Australia/New Zealand Cricket Cola, UK Cube Cola, UK Faygo Beverages, Detroit, Michigan, USA Fentimans, Riding Mill, Northumberland, UK Fizzy Lizzy, United States, Japan, Bermuda and St. Barts GuS Grown-Up Soda, New York, NY, US Hank's Beverages, Trevose, Pennsylvania, US Hansens Natural Soda, United States Hosmer Mountain Soda, Connecticut, U.S. Jones Soda, Seattle, Washington, US R.W. Knudsen Spritzers and Juices, United States Pascual Cooperative, Mexico Polar Beverages, New England, U.S. Santa Cruz Organic Spritzers and Juices United States Steaz Green Tea Soda, Newton, Pennsylvania, US The Switch Beverage Co., United States Tibetan Tea, UK Tommy's Naked Soda (U.S. Northeast) Ubuntu Trading, (Fair Trade), UK Zevia (United States)

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