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Killer Coke News Archive | 2011


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"Coke helps save Canada's polar bears but exploits developing countries" by Nick Fillmore, A Different Point of View, Dec. 29, 2011
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The Coca-Cola Company has put on a happy face for the North American public by pledging to help protect the iconic polar bear while, at the same time, continuing to be one of the worst environmentally destructive corporations in the underdeveloped world.

Pointing out on its website that the rapid loss of sea ice in the Arctic threatens the future of the polar bear, Coke says it is extending its financial support for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) with $2-million over 5 years toward conservations, as well as matching funds up to $1-million.

However, this project raises two important questions:

  • Should Coke be allowed to get away with the hypocrisy of exploiting an emotional campaign to help save polar bears while at the same time, depleting water resources, exploiting workers in developing countries, and telling us that it is 'fun' to drink its sugar-laden products?
  • Secondly, should the World Wildlife Fund Canada be taking money from a corporation that destroys the environment and wildlife in other parts of the world?

"Activists Occupy Coca-Cola Factory In Kerala" by NAPM, 17 December, 2011, Countercurrents.org
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"About twenty two members of Plachimada Coca-Cola Virudha Samara Samithi and Plachimada solidarity forum including Vilayodi Venugopal, Sri N. P. Johnson, N Subramanyan, Fr. Augustine, M N Giri, Sahadevan and ors, walked in to the premises of the Coca Cola Factory in Kerala state, India and courted arrest. When produced the Magistrate ordered their release on furnishing personal bond but activists refused to take bail in protest against apathy on the part of state government and the delaying and subverting tactics in favour of Coca Cola. NAPM hails the action of these activists and salutes their courage for choosing to do this to bring home the dire need for quick passage of the 'Plachimada Coca-Cola Victims' Relief and Compensation Claims Special Tribunal Bill, 2011."

"Coca-Cola Sued for California Labor Law Violations, BISNAR CHASE Employment Attorneys Cite Multiple California Labor Law Infractions," InsuranceNewsNet, Nov. 10, 2011
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"The California employment attorneys of BISNAR CHASE today announced they have filed a class action lawsuit against Coca-Cola and its affiliates for allegedly violating multiple California labor laws (Case # BC469212) .

"The case against Coca-Cola Enterprise, Inc., BCI Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Los Angeles, and BCI Coca-Cola Bottling Company, with facilities in and around Los Angeles County and other counties within the state, was brought by plaintiffs Timothy Sulu and Jonathan Verdugo for alleged labor law violations against both men and other Coca-Cola employees - roughly 1,500 in all - beginning in September 2007."

"Kimberley shops hit by strike," The New Age, November 22, 2011
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"The aim of the strike, which started a week ago, is to demand the scrapping of labour brokering and closure of the wage gap among employees, among other things.

"The employees, who are members of the Food and Allied Workers Union, said their salaries in the central region of Kimberley and Bloemfontein were lower than employees' salaries in the East London and Mpumalanga plants."

Killer Coke

DEMANDS: Workers at the Coca-Cola plant in Kimberley
are continuing with their strike action calling
for the scrapping of labour brokers and higher wages.
(Picture: Ishmael Modiba)

"Coca-Cola strike enters second week," SABC, [South Africa] November 22, 2011
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"The strike at Coca-Cola Fortune factories countrywide has entered its second week with no indication of a possible breakthrough. Talks between the company and the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) deadlocked last Friday.

"Last week, Fawu workers downed tools over a number of work-related issues including the closing of the wage gap between different plants.According to the union nearly 2000 workers are taking part in the strike."

"100,000 Signatures Overcome Coca-Cola in National Park Bottle-Ban Debate," TriplePundit, By Raz Godelnik | December 20th, 2011
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"If you're looking for good news for the holiday season, we've got something for you. The proposed ban on sales of disposable plastic water bottles in the Grand Canyon National Park, which had been abruptly shelved last year following alleged pressure from Coca-Cola is now moving forward and would take effect next year. One of the reasons for this change seems to be 100,000 signatures on a Change.org petition calling the National Park Service (NPS) to reconsider the ban.

"The Change.org campaign started after the New York Times unveiled this story on November, arguing that NPS Director, Jon Jarvis, blocked the plan to ban the sale of water bottles in the Grand Canyon, after conversations with Coca-Cola, a major donor to the National Park Foundation. 'While I applaud the intent" of the proposed new rule, Jarvis wrote last year in an email, "there are going to be consequences, since Coke is a major sponsor of our recycling efforts.' "

Please join the Campaign to Save the Grand Canyon from Coca Cola! Ban Plastic Bottles in the Park
Visit Website

"What can you buy with $13 million? If you're Coca-Cola, you can buy enough influence with the National Parks Service to cancel plans to make the Grand Canyon more environmentally friendly.

"Plastic water bottles are the biggest single source of garbage in America's most iconic national park. So the National Parks Service had a plan: ban the sale of plastic water bottles in the Grand Canyon and invest in refillable water stations instead. The park was just weeks from implementing the ban -- and then Coca Cola stepped in.

"According to the New York Times, Coca Cola — which has donated $13 million to national parks — asked the National Park Service to not ban the sale of plastic water bottles. Incredibly, the head of the National Parks Service bowed to Coke, and cancelled the Grand Canyon's bottle ban."

Killer Coke

"Drinking This 'Popular Poison' is Worse than Smoking: by Dr. Mercola, November 21 2011
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"Soda, which is loaded with sugar primarily in the form of high fructose corn syrup, is a leading contributor to the rising rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases facing Americans...

"Some of you reading this are undoubtedly thinking, how bad could soda really be? From my perspective, there is absolutely NO REASON you or your kids should ever drink soda. If you were stranded in the middle of a desert with no other fluid available, then maybe, but other than that ... none, nada, zip, zero. No excuses.

"From a health perspective, drinking Coke or any soft drink is a disaster. Just one extra can of soda per day can add as much as 15 pounds to your weight over the course of a single year, not to mention increase your risk of diabetes by 85 percent. The primary reason why soda is so dangerous to your health?

"Fructose...

"If you think you're better off drinking diet soda, think again. In fact, if I had to choose between the two, I'd take regular soda over diet. Instead of fructose, diet soda contains artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame or sucralose (Splenda). With all the research now available on aspartame and its various ingredients, it's hard to believe such a chemical would even be allowed into the food supply, but it is, and it's been silently wreaking havoc with people's health for the past 30 years."

Aspartame is, by far, the most dangerous substance on the market that is added to foods.
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"Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death. A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain."

And in Health Issues, place both articles, "Drinking this 'Popular Poison" and "Aspartame is, by far, the most dangerous..." AFTER the heading: Aspartame/AminoSweet and other Artificial Sweeteners

"School lunches and child abuse, Washington-style" by Lawrence O'Donnell, The Last Word, MSNBC, November 16, 2011
Watch Video on MSNBC

"Coca-Cola... has now added to its prideful history using its lobbying power to kill the new healthier regulations for the school lunch program. There is no company in the world that can claim more credit than Coca-Cola for pushing the American childhood obesity rate above 30 percent."

"Congress Blocks New Rules on School Lunches" by Ron Nixon, The New York Times, Nov. 16, 2011
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"In a victory for the makers of frozen pizzas, tomato paste and French fries, Congress on Monday blocked rules proposed by the Agriculture Department that would have overhauled the nation's school lunch program.

"The proposed changes — the first in 15 years to the $11 billion school lunch program — were meant to reduce childhood obesity by adding more fruits and green vegetables to lunch menus, Agriculture Department officials said...

"Food companies including ConAgra, Coca-Cola, Del Monte Foods and makers of frozen pizza like Schwan argued that the proposed rules would raise the cost of meals and require food that many children would throw away.

"The companies called the Congressional response reasonable, adding that the Agriculture Department went too far in trying to improve nutrition in school lunches."

"It's a shame that Congress seems more interested in protecting industry than protecting children's health," said Margo G. Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit research group. "At a time when child nutrition and childhood obesity are national health concerns, Congress should be supporting U.S.D.A. and school efforts to serve healthier school meals, not undermining them."

"Parks Chief Blocked Plan for Grand Canyon Bottle Ban" By FELICITY BARRINGER, The New York Times, November 9, 2011
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"Weary of plastic litter, Grand Canyon National Park officials were in the final stages of imposing a ban on the sale of disposable water bottles in the Grand Canyon late last year when the nation's parks chief abruptly blocked the plan after conversations with Coca-Cola, a major donor to the National Park Foundation...

"Mr. [Stephen P.] Martin, a 35-year veteran of the park service who had risen to the No. 2 post in 2003, was disheartened by the outcome. 'That was upsetting news because of what I felt were ethical issues surrounding the idea of being influenced unduly by business,' Mr. Martin said in an interview."

"Addicted To Coke . . . And Suing Coca-Cola?" by Joe Palazzolo, NOVEMBER 3, 2011,, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
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"There is a growing body of medical research that processed foods and sugary drinks can affect the brain in ways that resemble addictions to cocaine, nicotine and other drugs. If fatty foods and snacks are proven to be addictive, food companies could be looking at the biggest consumer-safety battle since the Tobacco Wars, according to Bloomberg."

"Fatty Foods Addictive Like Cocaine in Growing Body of Scientific Research" By Robert Langreth and Duane D. Stanford - Nov 2, 2011, Bloomberg
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"A growing body of medical research at leading universities and government laboratories suggests that processed foods and sugary drinks made by the likes of PepsiCo Inc. and Kraft Foods Inc. (KFT) aren't simply unhealthy. They can hijack the brain in ways that resemble addictions to cocaine, nicotine and other drugs.

" 'The data is so overwhelming the field has to accept it,' said Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. 'We are finding tremendous overlap between drugs in the brain and food in the brain.' "

Soft drink makers like Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper Snapple Group target black and Hispanic teens, children: report:
Big brands are capitalizing on minority youth to be their biggest buyers with multimedia campaigns in addition to traditional print, TV ads
By Joyce Chen, New York Daily News, November 1, 2011

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"A recent Yale study released Monday found that soft-drink makers are targeting black and Hispanic children and teenagers in their U.S. ad campaigns. According to the report, released by the Yale University Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, black kids and teens watched 80% to 90% more ads than white children. Hispanic teens were exposed to 99% more ads than their white counterparts.

Comment from the Campaign:

"On June 7, 2010, it was announced that The Coca-Cola Company was paying $715 million to Dr Pepper Snapple Group in exchange for rights to distribute certain Dr Pepper Snapple Group brands. Under the new agreement, The Coca-Cola Company will distribute Dr Pepper trademark brands in the U.S., and Canada Dry in the Northeast U.S. The Company will distribute Canada Dry, C'Plus and Schweppes in Canada.

"In addition, the Company will offer Dr Pepper and Diet Dr Pepper in local fountain accounts that had been serviced by CCE and will include Dr Pepper and Diet Dr Pepper on its Coca-Cola Freestyle(TM) fountain dispenser.

"The Coca-Cola Company will become one of the largest Dr Pepper trademark bottlers in the United States."

Read Press Release

"Coca Cola Lies to Doctors?" Dec. 28, 2011, Weighty Matters, Yoni Freedhoff [Family doc and founder of Ottawa's Bariatric Medical Institute - a multi-disciplinary, ethical, evidence-based nutrition and weight management centre.]
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Coca-Cola: "Can't remember the last Coca-Cola ad targeted at children? There's a reason...Parents tell us they prefer to be the ones teaching their children about beverage choices. That's why for over 50 years we've adhered to a company policy that prohibits advertising soft drinks to children...And as a founding member of Canadian Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, we've recently extended this policy to include all forms of media, including broadcast, print, the web and beyond."

Yoni Freedhoff: "So what's my issue? Well I can remember boatloads of Coca-Cola advertisements targeting children. From the famous Mean Joe Green football jersey commercial, to Santa Claus, little stuffed vending machine animals, animated polar bears, video games and recording and sports idols.

YF: Visiting the Coca-Cola company's website, you'll find that there's a lot of small print attached to their pledge but basically it comes down to this -- it only applies to programming that is specifically geared towards children under the age of 12. I suppose that means targeting children during any family friendly shows (American/Canadian Idol, sports, some prime time stuff) is fair game and I suppose it also means Coca-Cola thinks your 12 year old is an adult."

"Coca-Cola, Soft-Drink Companies' Advertising to U.S. Children, Teens on the Rise: Study" by Brett LoGiurato | October 31, 2011, International Business Times
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"Soft-drink and soda companies are targeting children and teens in the United States more than ever with marketing and advertisements for sugary drinks across various platforms, according to a study released Monday...

"Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper Snapple Group were the two main culprits responsible for the increase. According to the study, Coca-Cola upped advertising for a number of products, including Coca-Cola Classic (39 percent), Minute Maid fruit drinks (99 percent) and Powerade (89 percent). Dr Pepper Snapple Group did the same - Dr Pepper soda went up 36 percent, and 7 Up increased 62 percent. At the same time, PepsiCo — Coca-Cola's main competitor — decreased television advertising by 22 percent."

"No renewal for Coca-Cola; Administration puts soda contract out for bid" By Sarah Leidinger, Staff Writer, The Vermont Cynic, Thursday, October 20, 2011
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"The current Coca-Cola contract that currently supplies beverages to the University is ending on June 30, 2012... "The contract will not be renewed and will instead be put out to bid among other beverage companies...we have decided not to have an exclusive contract with any one vendor.' "

"Diet Soda Makes You Fat," By Dr. Brownstein, NewsMaxHealth.com, Monday, October 17, 2011
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‎"In the first report, 474 subjects were followed for nearly 10 years. Participants who said they drank two or more diet sodas a day experienced increases in waist circumference that were 600 percent greater than those who did not drink diet soda.

"The researchers also reported that, as a group, those who ingested diet soda had a 70 percent greater increase in waist circumference as compared to those who did not drink diet soda."

"A second study reported that mice that were fed aspartame (i.e., NutraSweet) had blood sugar levels that were higher than mice not fed aspartame."

"12 California Students Named 'Soda Sucks' Competition Winners | Youth Leaders Encourage Peers to Fight Back Against Predatory Soda Marketing" by New America Media, October 18, 2011
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"Soda giant Coca-Cola may have reported $12.2 billion in quarterly revenue this morning, but at least 12 California young people say they aren't buying. The dozen youths, who were named winners of the 'Soda Sucks' competition sponsored by New American Media, are instead using their talents to inspire teens across the state to reject unhealthy sugary sodas and drink water instead...

"In his winning video entry, William Haynes, a 17 year-old from Hercules...Haynes outlined the latest research about the connection between soda consumption and diabetes, obesity, and tooth decay...

The site for "Why Soda Sucks"
The site for KillerCoke.org's health section

"Black Group Targets Corporations Over Voting Laws" by Suzanne Gamboa, Associated Press, December 8, 2011
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"...ColorofChange, is targeting companies that support the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, a nonprofit that has helped states pass photo ID laws, which are criticized by minority and civil rights groups. Its members include legislators and corporations, who pay higher fees to join...."

"Executive director Rashad Robinson is not yet naming the companies, but said Wednesday his group has already asked them once to drop their financial support of ALEC. ColorofChange also is asking its more than 800,000 individual members to sign a letter asking ALEC's corporate members, which include Coca Cola and Wal-Mart among others, to end their support for the group."

"ALEC and Coca-Cola: A "Classic" Collaboration" from PRWatch, Submitted by Rebekah Wilce on October 12, 2011

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"What is Coca-Cola doing behind closed doors with Koch Industries and other multinational corporations in the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)? Coca-Cola Refreshments' Director of Public Affairs and Communications, Gene Rackley , represents Coke on ALEC's "Private Enterprise" Board , along with Koch Industries ' Michael Morgan.

"Coke and ALEC have a lot in common. Both love free trade and have been big boosters of free trade agreements, such as the Korea, Panama and Columbia agreements facing votes this week in Congress. Both are dubious about recycling, especially taxes applied to industry to pay for mandatory recycling. But in one area, ALEC policy benefits Coke and other sweet drink makers directly."

"Inside the ALEC Dating Service" By Mark Pocan, The Progressive, October 2011
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"...ALEC is a corporate-funded and -dominated group that operates much like a dating service, only between legislators and special interests. It matches them up, builds relationships, culminates with the birth of special interest legislation, and ends happily ever after. That's happy for the special corporate interests, that is. Call it corporatematch.com...

"Half of the organization is made up of legislators, mostly conservative Republicans. There is a smattering of conservative Democrats, a handful of people of color, and, well, me. The other half is comprised of corporate special interests. They pay big bucks to put their logos, lobbyists, and legislation in front of the objects of their affection: state legislators."

"Coca-Cola workers bemoan low pay" by Albertina Nakale, New Era, 13 October 2011
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" 'We demand overtime. And we want to be paid per hour. At the moment we are suffering, we cannot survive on N$1 795. Coca-Cola is one of the oldest and richest companies, so why can they not increase our salaries?' one of the workers queried.

"Asked whether they have approached their supervisors with their concerns, workers say they have and on several occasions, they were turned down.

" 'Every time we complain about our salaries, we are told if we are not happy, we can pack up and go home. They tell us there are a lot of unemployed people out there,' lamented another worker."

"Beltway Buzzes About Coca-Cola's Bogus Tax Complaint" by George Zornick | The Nation, Sept. 27, 2011
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"...Coca-Cola enjoys very low federal taxes, and pays a lower rate than most Americans. According to Citizens for Tax Justice , the company's current federal tax expense is $470 million, which is only 6.5 percent of the $7.2 billion in pre-tax profits that Coca-Cola reported last year. That's a pretty rosy rate, and certainly does call for a retooling of the tax code--though not in the wayMukhtar Kent wants. (The company told CTJ they actually paid at a 38 percent rate, but would not release any documentation).

"Part of the reason that Coca-Cola pays such a low rate is that it parks profits in overseas tax havenslike the Cayman Islands . The company has saved $500 million in some years by hiding profits there."

"Coca-Cola, Oracle, Intel Use Cayman Islands to Avoid U.S. Taxes" by David Evans - May 5, 2009, Bloomberg
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"The Caymans have no corporate income tax for companies incorporated there. The Caribbean island has helped scores of U.S. companies, including Coca-Cola Co. and Oracle Corp., to legally avoid billions in tax payments to the U.S. government, says U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan."

"THE $150 BILLION SHELL GAME"
"More than 150 U.S. companies, including Coca-Cola and Intel, have subsidiaries in the Cayman Islands.That costs the U.S. billions in lost taxes"

Download Article in .PDF

"Coca-Cola, the world's largest soft-drink maker, manufactures syrup in two Irish plants owned by Coke's Cayman-based subsidiary, Atlantic Industries. Coke, based in Atlanta, saved $500 million in U.S. taxes last year by earning 63 percent of its income through foreign subsidiaries, according to its 2003 annual report. Coke used the Cayman subsidiary to sell syrup to customers in 75 countries and avoid paying U.S. taxes on earnings from more than $1 billion in revenue last year, according to a person familiar with Coke's finances.

"Coke spokesman Ben Deutsch says the company doesn't comment on tax strategies for competitive reasons. 'When companies...like Coca-Cola, decide they want to minimize their participation in the payment of taxes for that which we enjoy in this country, it bothers me,' Dorgan says.

"Africa struggles to control prolific killer" by Katrina Manson, Financial Times, September 17-18, 2011
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"Diabetes — Death toll from the disease is expected to rise above those of malaria and HIV by 2030, writes Katrina Manson...

"The World Health Organisation says unhealthy diets, smoking, drinking and inactivity are factors in developing NCDs [non­communicable diseases]...

"...it is a bitter corollary to development as urbanisation takes hold even in rural areas. Some blame the 'Coca­Colaisation' of Kenyan society. Billboards showcase bottles of the sugary drink with the slogan 'Open happiness'.

" 'We have an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, everybody is drinking sodas and eating starch and fried fatty snacks in school,' says Dr. Acharya, chairman of the Diabetes Kenya Association, who says the disease in children is increasing.

"The Kenyan government, which has already restricted public smoking and alcohol consumption, is considering banning adverts for sugary food and drinks near schools and requiring salt and sugar food labelling."

"The Diet-Soda Dilemma: Can zero-calorie drinks make you gain weight?" - AARP The Magazine, Sept./Oct. 2011
Read Article in .PDF

"...researchers tracked 474 older adults for nearly a decade and found that the waistlines of diet-soda drinkers expanded 178 percent more than those of people who avoided these drinks. In fact, those who drank two or more diet sodas daily saw their waistlines expand by an average of 4.7 centimeters (about 2 inches)."

Sinn Fein National Conference Promotes Campaign & Boycott of Coke

A major political party in Ireland, Sinn Fein, voted unanimously on September 9, 2011 at their national conference in Belfast to support "the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke and the campaign to boycott Coca-Cola for their corporations' failure to act in support of workers at bottling franchises in Colombia and other countries."

Sinn Fein is the second largest political party in Northern Ireland having won 178,224 votes in the Northern Ireland Assembly election in 2011. It is the third largest political party across the island of Ireland with a popular vote of 398,915, combining the Irish general election, 2011 in the Republic of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2011 in Northern Ireland.

Below is a video of South Sligo delegate Sean Joyce making a statement of support for the resolution. Sean works with Sinn Fein Youth. Any student in Ireland interested in working with Sinn Fein Youth and the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke can contact South Sligo Delegate Randy Cecil at rcecil@sligotreasure.com:

South Sligo delegate Sean Joyce making a statement of support for the resolution
View the video on YouTube

The text of the resolution follows. Delegate Randy Cecil informed us that the resolution passed unanimously:

"This Ard Fheis notes the 2011 International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) which revealed that 90 trade unionists were murdered in 2010 for their efforts in defending workers' rights. This included the assassination of 49 trade union leaders in Colombia. In addition to those killed across the globe, many more trade unionists were arrested, attacked or subjected to harassment and intimidation. This included 75 reported death threats against trade unionists, at least 2,500 arrests, and around 2,500 sackings of union members decent working rights and conditions. In Turkey alone, an estimated 350 unionists were dismissed for their union activities.

"This Ard Fheis notes the need for international solidarity to confront this activity, which is carried out by both governments and international corporations.

"This Ard Fheis re-iterates its long standing support for the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke (www.KillerCoke.org) and the campaign to boycott Coca Cola for their corporations' failure to act in support of workers at bottling franchises in Colombia and other countries."

Fifteen hundred attended the convention, 1,000 leaflets were distributed and Coca-Cola beverages were not sold or made available.

"Vending of new partner's drinks begins at UC Berkeley" by By Anny Dow & J.D. Morris, The Daily Californian, August 10, 2011
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Finally, after a Campaign to Stop Killer Coke presence at U-C, Berkeley for some 8 years, the University has decided to drop Coke products, in part, because as Kurt Libby, Chair of the Beverage Alliance at U-C stated: "We did a bunch of research as we were going into the contract to see how Pepsi and Coke were both received at other campuses. Pepsi seemed to have very positive references...They [the students] were unhappy with Coke for a number of reasons and these were all things we addressed in the RFP {Request for Proposal}."

In the past year as part of our Campaign, we contacted some 10,000 members of the U-C Berkeley community, including faculty, administrators and student groups. We received a number of replies from faculty and students that all basically said: "We love what you're doing. We want Coke off our campus."

Below is a July 2011 article and comment in response to the debate about whether to have Coke or Pepsi on campus:

"Coca-Cola and Pepsi compete for campus beverage contract" by Noor Al-Samarrai, The Daily Californian, August 10, 2011
Read Article

Comment to the article by "Furiousjack":

How can UC-Berkeley even consider offering Coca-Cola another contract? Doesn't the university believe in justice? Doesn't this University have a conscience? Coca-Cola is involved in the most deplorable labor, human rights and environmental crimes, perpetrated on a worldwide scale. These abuses are well documented in two recent books; The Coke Machine: The Dirty Truth behind The World's Favorite Soft Drink by Michael Blanding (Penguin Group, Sept. 2010) and Belching Out The Devil: Global Adventures With Coca-Cola (Mark Thomas, Nation Books, 2008). Coca-Cola's abuses are also detailed in two feature-length documentaries; The Coca-Cola Case (National Film Board of Canada, 2010, www.thecoca-colacase.org ... and Dispatches: Mark Thomas on Coca-Cola, which aired during primetime on national television in the UK in 2007. The most impressive accounting of Coke's crimes worldwide can be found @ www.killercoke.org.

If the information contained in the books, documentaries and killercoke.org are untrue, than why doesn't the company sue the authors, publishers, filmmakers and producers? UC-Berkeley should tell Coke to take a hike and that they are not welcome on campus!

The Vitamin Water Deception - exposes the truth behind Coca-Cola's non-healthy beverage

Fantastic exposé on Coca-Cola's Vitamin Water. While it's promoted as a healthy alternative to soft drinks, Coca-Cola tells the court that "No reasonable consumer could reasonable be mislead into thinking Vitamin Water was a healthy beverage."

Watch on YouTube

Videos from the 2011 Coca-Cola Shareholders Meeting.


"Pepsi beats out Coke for five-year campus beverage deal" by ISHMAEL N. DARO, Editor-in-Chief, The sheaf, University of Saskatchewan, August 14, 2011
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"In addition to financial considerations, the beverage committee also looked at the environmental and ethical track records of the two companies.

" 'They were very conscious of that when they were making the decision,' said Hitchings. Coca-Cola's somewhat checkered history on these fronts has inspired the 'Killer Coke' campaign to spread the word..."

"Coca-Cola VitaminWater mediation to be rescheduled" by Elaine Watson, Food Navigator, 12-Jul-2011
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"Mediation between Coca-Cola and The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) over legal challenges to Coca-Cola's VitaminWater range has been delayed following the launch of a new 'copycat' lawsuit against the soft drinks giant.

"The CSPI's lawsuit, which was filed in 2009 and brings together class actions in New Jersey, New York and California, alleges that Coca-Cola has misled consumers over the health benefits of VitaminWater."

"Sugar groups firm on boycott vs Coca-Cola: by Carla P. Gomez, Inquirer Visayas, July 12, 2011
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"On Monday, the Confed board decided that it would remain vigilant and would validate the company's promise before taking any action until Coca-Cola makes good its promise to buy local sugar and stop the importation of premix sugar and HFCS...

"Braza said the SW would not lift its boycott as long as the company's packaging reflects the use of HFCS and until CCBPI would pay tariff amounting to P1.7 billion on premix sugar it had brought to the country earlier."

"Will Anti-BPA Campaigns Eat Into Coca-Cola Stock?" By Emily Knapp , Wall Street Cheat Sheet, July 04 2011
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"...Coca-Cola might be trying to poison its customers with calories and carbonation, but they just don't believe that BPA poses any health risk, despite the National Toxicology Program's (NTP) 2008 report warning of harm to the human brain and reproductive system. Instead, Coca-Cola has decided to place exclusive faith in the Food and Drug Administration's report stating that BPA, at its current levels of exposure, is safe. Of course, that report has been challenged by the FDA's own science board, who question whether an adequate analysis was made."

"Diet Soda Linked To Weight Gain" By Amanda Chan, Huffington Post, 6/29/11
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"A study presented at a American Diabetes Association meeting this week shows that drinking diet soda is associated with a wider waist in humans. And a second study shows that aspartame — an artificial sweetener in diet soda — actually raises blood sugar in mice prone to diabetes."

"Zubiri seeks Senate probe of sugar premix" BY CARLA GOMEZ, The Visayan Daily Star, June 27, 2011
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"Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri yesterday said he has filed Senate Resolution 517 seeking an investigation on the reported technical smuggling of sugar resulting to losses in government revenues and a possible collapse of the local sugar industry."

Killer Coke

"Negros folks press Coca-Cola to use local sugar [instead of smuggled sugar]" By Carla P. Gomes, Inquirer Visayas, June 22, 2011
Read Article

"About 4,000 Negrenses staged a protest in front of the Coca Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc. bottling plant in Barangay (village) Mansilingan, Bacolod City, Wednesday morning to protest the company's use of imported [smuggled] instead of locally grown sugar."

Killer Coke

The followiing article appearing in the June 2011 edition of District Council 37's Public Employee Press was sent out to 150,000 active and retired members of AFSCME District Council 37 and distributed in various government agencies. One error in the article states that "Students have convinced over 20 universities to ban Coke from their campuses". That should have read: "Students have convinced some 60 universities to ban Coke from their campuses."

"Unthinkable, Undrinkable; Death squad charges set off Coke Boycott" by Jane LaTour, AFSCME District Council 37
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"The Coca-Cola Co. projects an image of fun, energy and excitement, with its fiery red trucks and red-shirted drivers. For years, its TV commercials sold its nutrition-free drinks with the slogan, 'Coke adds life.' But Coke plants in Latin America have repeatedly been charged with using paramilitary death squads to kill union members and organizers, and a boycott movement is spreading among colleges and unions in the United States."

DC 37/AFSCME Local 2627 President Robert Ajaye discusses the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke at about 1 minute into this video


"Complaint Filed with SEC over Coca-Cola's Failure to Disclose Legal Problems in Mexico
Despite Lawsuits and a Government Investigation in Mexico that Could Cost Shareholders Billions of Dollars, Coke Refuses to Address Potential Liabilities"
Press Release, Corporate Camaign, Inc. June 14, 2011

Read Press Release and Complaint

"Ray Rogers, Director of Corporate Campaign, Inc. (CCI) and the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke filed a complaint on June 6, 2011, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), urging the regulatory agency to investigate violations of U.S. securities law committed by The Coca-Cola Company and its Chief Executive and Chairman Muhtar Kent.

"CCI's complaint to the SEC involves Coca-Cola's and Mr. Kent's public denial of the existence of an ongoing series of lawsuits and government investigation regarding the company's operations in Mexico that could potentially cost Coca-Cola and its shareholders billions of dollars."

 

"Confed files charges vs. Coca Cola, others" By Rolly Espina, The Vlsayan Daily Star (The Philippines)
Read Article

"Finally, the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations, Inc. has filed a charge of technical smuggling against Coca Cola Bottlers, Philippines Inc. and other beverage companies for importing pre-mixed sugar to avoid paying the appropriate tariff and taxes despite the fact that the premixed sugar was found by the Sugar Regulatory Administration laboratory as consisting of between 99.5 percent to 99.7 percent refined sugar."

"To this day, Coca-Cola still imports coca leaves which are used to manufacture cocaine in the United States" Mike Adams, NaturalNews.com, June 9, 2011
Read Article

"It is illegal to import or possess the leaves under U.S. law — unless you're the Coca-Cola company. In an effort to preserve the traditional flavor of the best-selling drink, the company long ago convinced the U.S. government to exempt it."

"Coke to pay former HR manager Sh6.4 million" by Maiureen Mudi, The Star, Tuesday, 07 June 2011
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"Coca-Cola East and Central Africa has been ordered to pay its former Human Resource manager Sh6.4 million as compensation for what was termed as unfair termination of employment.

"Justice James Rika of the Industrial Court ruled that Maria Ligaga, who now works with Mumias Sugar Company in the same department, should be paid within 30 days of delivery of the award. Ligaga sued Coca-Cola for unfair termination of contract of her employment.

"The court ruled that Coca-Cola treated her unfairly, mismanaged her development career and derailed her ambition to move into operations management."

Coca-Cola Worker Killed

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Killer Coke

On Thursday May 6, 2011, at approximately 8:30 pm, in Cundinamarca Soacha, Marin Jose Ferney was shot three times and killed by unidentified assailants while was selling Coca-Cola products on his route which runs out of BS 2564, the distribution center south of Bogota DC. One hypothesis is that they came to steal the money from the sale and resistance.

This worker provides services to Coca-Cola Company as an alleged independent contractor — a legal form used by the multinational to outsource its workers and avoid a contract of employment and the rights which go with such contracts.

Workers such as Mr. Ferney are subjected to grueling hours, from 6:00 am until late at night, and exposed to attacks which compromise their physical integrity and health.

When employees are robbed of money raised from the sale of products, Coca-Cola management forces them to pay this money back in four days and file a police report.

Often when filing a police report, charges of theft from the insurance companies arise, and, in some cases, workers are discharged. To avoid this fate, workers resist theft, giving their lives because they do not have financial resources or earnings sufficient to replace Coke money which may be stolen from them.

Coca-Cola Femsa unilaterally restructured the sales areas in Colombia, forcing workers to work 16 days straight and 20 hours a day; requiring them to sell more product, compromising their health; and paying them less commission and income.

We demand that Coca-Cola Femsa, ensure worker safety, protect the lives and personal integrity of their workers who are now compelled to work late into the night on the streets and are thereby put in serious conditions of insecurity and risk of loss of life. Coke FEMSA must take responsibility for what may happen to the workers in such circumstances.

We demand Coca-Cola gives decent jobs and salaries and access to labor rights!

Coca-Cola steals wages from their workers!

Coca-Cola ...125 Years Harming the Health of Workers!

National Board of SINALTRAINAL

# # #

Asesinado Trabajador de Coca Cola

domingo, 08 de mayo de 2011

Killer Coke

El jueves 6 de mayo de 2011, aproximadamente a las 8:30 p.m., en Soacha Cundinamarca, en momentos en que se encontraba en la ruta BS 2564, del centro de distribución del sur de Bogotá D.C., vendiendo los productos de Coca cola, fue asesinado JOSÉ FERNEY MARIN, por sujetos desconocidos que le propinaron tres disparos con arma de fuego. Una de las hipótesis es que llegaron a robarle el dinero de la venta y opuso resistencia.

Este trabajador prestaba sus servicios a la empresa coca cola, mediante la fachada de concesionario, figura legal usada por la multinacional para subcontratar a estos trabajadores y evadir el contrato de trabajo y negarles los derechos laborales.

Los trabajadores son sometidos a jornadas extenuantes, saliendo al mercado en los camiones desde las 6:00 a.m. hasta altas horas de la noche, expuestos a ataques contra su integridad y afectando su salud.

Cuando a los trabajadores les roban el dinero de la venta de los productos, la administración de Coca cola los obliga a pagarlo en cuatro días y presentar el denuncio policial.

Con el denuncio policial la empresa cobra del seguro contra robo y en algunos casos despiden los trabajadores, situación que influye para que tengan que hacer resistencia a los robos, exponiendo sus vidas ya que no cuentan con recursos económicos ni ganan un salario suficiente para reponerle el dinero a Coca cola.

La empresa Coca cola Femsa, unilateralmente reestructuró las zonas de ventas en Colombia, con ello obliga a los trabajadores a laborar jornadas de 16 y 20 horas diarias, sometiéndolos a vender más producto, degradando la salud y pagándoles menos comisiones, recibiendo menos ingresos.

Exigimos a Coca cola Femsa, garantizar la seguridad de sus trabajadores, proteger su vida y su integridad personal. Obligarlos a trabajar hasta altas horas de la noche en la calle es colocarlos en graves condiciones de inseguridad y en alto riesgo de pérdida de vida. Eso la hace responsable de lo que pueda pasarle a los trabajadores.

Exigimos a Coca cola puestos de trabajo y salarios dignos, contratación directa y acceso a los derechos laborales, legales y convencionales.

Coca Cola le Roba los Salarios a Sus Trabajadores

Coca Cola... 125 Años Dañando la Salud de los Trabajadores

Junta Directiva Nacional de Sinaltrainal

###

"Killer Coke" Campaign Underway on Campus" By Courtney Rivette, The Big Green, Michigan State University, 01 May 2011
Read Article

"For many people, Coca Cola products are associated with good taste and cheery advertising, but others worldwide associate the soft drink giant with murder. The 'Campaign to Stop Killer Coke' is a worldwide movement that aims to hold Coca Cola accountable for its alleged human rights violations. The campaign has now reached the MSU campus...

"Along with human rights violations, the MSU Killer Coke Campaign recognizes watershed pollution in Michigan as another reason to end contracts with Coca Cola. Residents of Paw Paw, Mich. have filed a lawsuit against Coca Cola for groundwater contamination from a Coca Cola bottling plant located near the watershed. The 80 residents that are part of the lawsuit claim soil contamination has affected their drinking water, daily use of their homes, property taxes and health...

"MSU's Chapter of Amnesty International has adopted a 'Campaign to Stop Killer Coke', and aims to remove Coca Cola from campus. The campaign is in response to Coke's alleged human rights violations in Colombia and other places of the world along with environmental problems that have occurred near bottling facilities worldwide and in Michigan. The 'Campaign to Stop Killer Coke' is a worldwide movement...

" 'Students are being identified with the Coca Cola Company, and I would suggest that the Coca Cola Company has misrepresented itself to the university when they signed their contract,' Rogers said. 'They ought to be able to break that contract, and if not, what we are hoping is that students will believe in justice and that they will make enough clamor on the campus that students simply won't purchase the products.' "

"Health Canada expert wonders: what's in the water, Coca-Cola?" By Sarah Schmidt, Montreal Gazette, May 24, 2011
Read Article

"A top nutrition expert at Health Canada believes The Coca-Cola Company misleads consumers into thinking its vitaminwater line of drinks constitutes a healthy beverage option, internal records show...

" 'I find calling these products 'waters' is misleading, in particular, given that they have sugars added to them. Perhaps the word "waters" could be put in quotes,' according to the newly released correspondence, obtained by Postmedia News under access to information.

"After water, sugar is the most significant ingredient in vitaminwater in terms of quantity, containing the equivalent of about eight teaspoons of sugar in each individual bottle...

" 'The defendants deliberately omit to state the quantity of sugar contained within vitaminwater on bottle labels and market vitaminwater as a healthy source of beneficial dietary supplements. This marketing message is false because each bottle of vitaminwater contains similar amounts of sugar as other sugary soft-drinks and, therefore, consumption of one bottle of vitaminwater has the same potential adverse health effects as consumption of those other sugary soft-drinks,' according to the statements...

"...The company also argued that "no consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking vitaminwater was a healthy beverage."

Coca-Cola: The Savage Quest for Liquid Money
Read Article

"Coca-Cola is delicious. This is what many people who drink the beverage would say if they were not being exploited. Yet, this is not the case in Mexico; in Mexico, citizens, while also being exploited in terms of labor, are indirectly forced to drink Coca-Cola because of the lack of water supply due to Coca-Cola's use of it. In order to perform such debasing acts, Coca-Cola is affiliated with political parties and advertises extensively throughout Mexico. Thus, in order to make a profit, Coca-Cola exploits the citizens of Mexico by depriving them of water and wages through its connection with the government and advertisements that will inevitably delay Mexico's advancement in the future."

Report critical of Coca-Cola" by ALANA DIXON, The Southland Times, New Zealand, May 19, 2011
Read Article

"Coca-Cola first recalled a batch of the water in December but did not tell MAF it had done so until February 7 - after 11 people had already reported the contaminated water made them sick.

"Coca-Cola had breached the Food Act 1981 by continuing to sell the product despite knowing it was putting consumers' health at risk, the report says."

"Investment Community Should Demand Coke CEO Muhtar Kent's Immediate Ouster" Release, Campaign to Stop Killer Coke, May 11, 2011
Read in English | Spanish

"Acecha el fisco a Coca Cola" ("Stalk the Treasury to Coca Cola") By Alberto Barranco, El Universal, May 11, 2011
Read in Spanish | English

"Lanzada una formidable ofensiva contra las empresas “outsourcing” que construyen escenarios de simulación para eludir sus obligaciones tributarias, la sorpresa es que las pesquisas de la Secretaría de Hacienda están colocando en la mira a la filial de The Coca Cola Company en México

"Lo grave del caso es que la presunción apunta a que la multinacional creó su propia tercería para simular una relación ajena a ella en la contratación de algunos de sus funcionarios, en afán de escatimarles una gama de prestaciones sociales, entre ellas el reparto de utilidades.
"De acuerdo a un cálculo preliminar de quien le colocó la mosca en la oreja a la dependencia, el monto de lo que se presume defraudación por simulación podría alcanzar 14 mil millones… de dólares."

"Coca-Cola's Anniversary: Why I'm Not Celebrating" by Michael F. Jacobson, Huffington Post, May 5, 2011
Read Article

"Thanks to many decades of sunny television advertising Coca-Cola conjures up warm and fuzzy feelings among many Americans. But I hope that in observance of this anniversary, policymakers and parents do everything they can to drive Coke consumption down even further. Instead of doubling soda sales, let's commit to cutting soda consumption far more by 2020. That would be a milestone worth celebrating."

"Investigating Coca-Cola Tax Evasion" by Alfredo Gonzalez, Reforma, Business Section, May 4, 2011
Read Article

"PROCESO: Las trampas de Coca-Cola Carlos Acosta Córdova (defrauda al fisco en México)," Las trampas de Coca-Cola, Carlos Acosta Córdova, MAYO 01, 2011
Read Article Online | PDF

Letter from Dr. Victor Manual Contreras, General Director for Fiscal Crimes in the Federal Treasury Investigation Department, to Rafael Jaime Cantu Reyes, Administrator of the Central Planning and Programming of Federal Fiscal Authority

Carta del Dr. Víctor Manual de Contreras, Dirección General de Delitos Fiscal, Subprocuraduria Federal Fiscal de Investigaciónes, a Rafael Jaime Cantú Reyes, Administrador Central de Planeación y Programación de Autoria Fiscal Federal

Read Original Letter in .PDF

Five important articles on the Alvarado case
Read in .PDF

Killer Coke

Ray Rogers and Nancy Siesel interviewed by The News Dissector, Danny Schecter, Progressive Radio Network

Videos from the 2011 Coca-Cola Shareholders Meeting.

To Muhtar Kent, CEO of Coke:
Continuation of Aspartame Complaint at 4/27/11 Stockholder Meeting


The Real Reason Why Coca-Cola Isn't Ditching Bisphenol A by Lloyd Alter,Treehugger.com, April 29, 2011
Read Article

"It's possible that Coca-Cola has asserted its position on BPA so many times that it's fearful of what will happen if it reverses. And it's true, basically admitting they've been poisoning us all these years might not go over so well. But that still won't make it any less true."

"Why Coca-Cola Isn't Ditching BPA" BY ARIEL SCHWARTZ, Fast Company, April 28, 2011
Read Article

"I think they just feel they would be too vulnerable if they admit there might be a problem," says Michael Passoff, Senior Strategist at As You Sow. " They feel they have to defend this product no matter what, where other companies we're seeing recognize the risk. Coke is the only [company we talk to] that just says there is no risk whatsoever, the science you're reading is wrong."

DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF REALITY BUBBLE UP AT COCA-COLA'S ANNUAL MEETING" by By Maria Saporta, Atlanta Business Chronicle, April 27, 2011
Read Article

"Several out-spoken shareholders accused the company of a myriad of crimes — murder, rape, union-busting, unethical business practices — in various countries, including Colombia, Guatemala and even the United States.

"The activist shareholders ignored the two-minute rule and every other company-imposed rules of the meetings so they could their messages across. One of the perennial angry shareholders — Ray Rogers — engaged in a shouting match that culminated with him telling Kent: 'You are a liar. You are a liar.'

"Then some shareholders started questioning the company's practices on health-related and environmental issues. What kind of water Coca-Cola puts in its Dasani plastic bottles. The possibly harmful use of BPA that is used inside the lining of its canned drink products. The medical consequences of using aspartame in its diet drinks."

Killer Coke

Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent addresses shareholders at 2011
annual meeting at Cobb Galleria Centre.
(Special: Michael Pugh/Coca-Cola)

Killer Coke Killer Coke

Participants prior to the Coca-Cola annual shareholders meeting. (Left)
Ian Hoffman in front of the KillerCoke.org billboard. (Right)

View additional photos from the 2011 Coca-Cola Shareholders Meeting.

"No Glee from Environmentalists for Coca-Cola 'Plant Bottle'" by Lisa Kaas Boyle, HuffPost Green, 4/22/11
Read Article

"Some California environmental groups got a last minute invite to an unusual spectacle taking place on Earth Day to launch Coke's new 'plant bottle' packaging for Coca-Cola brand 'Dasani' bottled water. The invitation cheers the 'exciting packaging advancement' that will allow Coca-Cola to bottle its plain old municipal water without the coke syrup in a bottle that is 'made with up to 30 percent plants — and up to 30 percent less petroleum...'

"On behalf of environmentalists in the know about plastic packaging and bottled water, we send our Regrets, as follows:

"1. We Regret that while many areas of America face drought, your bottling of municipal water uses three times as much water in the process of bottling it as the amount of water that came from the tap to fill the bottle...

"10. We Regret that Matthew Morrison, a beloved singer and actor, is involved with such a green washing sham. We wish he talked with us first."

"Coca-Cola investors to vote on BPA resolution" Posted by Lisa McTigue Pierce — Packaging Digest, 4/20/2011
Read Article

"On April 27th Coca-Cola shareholders will vote on a resolution at the company's annual meeting in Atlanta about the use of bisphenol-A (BPA) in beverage can linings. The resolution asks Coca-Cola to: issue a report to its investors disclosing how it is responding to public concerns about the safety of BPA in products; outline a plan to develop alternatives to BPA in can linings; and address what the company is doing to maintain leadership and public trust on this issue...

"A similar shareholder resolution was filed last year with Coca Cola and received 22 percent shareholders' votes, representing strong support from mainstream investors and proxy analysts. Shareholder proponents have provided them with an additional investor fact sheet for the upcoming vote...

"BPA is known to mimic estrogen in the body and numerous animal studies link BPA, even at very low doses, to potential changes in brain structure, immune system, male and female reproductive systems, and changes in tissue associated with increased rates of breast cancer. Exposure to BPA by the very young, as well as pregnant women, are among the greatest concerns to experts."

The Board of Directors at Coca-Cola is opposing this resolution. But this is not surprising based on Coke's premise that profits take precedence over people's health.


Former Coca-Cola Director Cathie Black Booted Out as NYC Schools Chancellor: Kids Win, Coca-Cola & Cathie Black Lose

On Thursday (4/7/11), it was reported that Cathie Black was asked to step down as Chancellor of the NYC public school system. Appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Black was an executive at Hearst Publications and raked in millions as a director and large shareholder of The Coca-Cola Co. The public school community immediately sprang into action protesting Black's appointment since she had no education experience, had sent her own children to expensive boarding schools, was a supporter of charter schools and was a personal friend of the mayor.

Our Campaign also sprang into action and put out press releases about Black's role as a top policymaker of The Coca-Cola Co. and how this made her unfit to work on behalf of children. The Daily News and The New York Times then published articles about Black's leading role with Coke. We participated in demonstrations, spoke at rallies and distributed flyers to warn the public about Black's lack of ethics shown in her role with Coca-Cola.

Throughout the three months of her tenure, her popularity continuously dropped. When in a discussion of class size, she jokingly suggested "birth control" would solve the problem, the community became further irritated. This past week, a poll showed her popularity had dropped to 17%. Clearly, she and Bloomberg were fooling no one--she was unfit for the job.


"Cathie Black asked to step down as NYC Schools Chancellor; Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott to take post" by Erin Einhorn, Adam Lisberg and Rachel Monahan, Daily News, April 7, 2011
Read Article

"Black's surprise appointment in November stunned the city and was met with a torrent of criticism...Black made a number of missteps since taking the job in January and has been slammed with abysmal poll numbers... Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who had criticized the mayor's choice of Black, praised the decision 'to change course in such a big way when things are not working. It's been clear for months now that, like the Titanic, this ship has been sinking with more than one million school children on board,' he said."

"A closer look at new schools chancellor Cathie Black's resume shows troubling link to Coca-Cola" by Juan Gonzalez, NY Daily News, Wednesday, November 17th 2010
Read Article

"After several murders of union members at Coke bottling affiliates in Colombia, union leaders there filed a $500 million civil suit against the company in Miami Federal Court. They claimed plant managers routinely called in death squads to terrorize their members. A PBS 'Frontline' report later found attacks had occurred inside the plants with the knowledge of local supervisors. As a member of the company's public issues and diversity committee, Black was well aware of the allegations..."

"Among the local schools that dumped Coke supply contracts are Rutgers, Manhattanville, State University at Stony Brook and Bard College.

"This year, former Coca-Cola employees in Guatemala who were forced to flee their homeland filed suit against the company in New York.

"Jose Armando Palacios and Jose Alberto Vicente Chavez say they were shot at and their families terrorized by armed men because of their involvement with a union at the Guatemalan plant...

"Meanwhile, Mexico's best-known consumer advocacy group, El Poder de los Consumidores, has repeatedly blasted Coca-Cola and other producers of high-sugar products for their marketing campaigns to that country's schoolchildren.

"In the past two decades, consumption of soft drinks among Mexico's poor has increased by 60%, and the country now has one of the highest rates of Coca-Cola use in the world. Nearly 70% of Mexican adults are overweight or obese, and 10 million suffer from diabetes."

"As Bloomberg Fought Sodas, Nominee Sat on Coke Board" By MICHAEL BARBARO, New York Times, November 16, 2010
Read Article

"Through most of these battles, Ms. Black, the magazine executive nominated last week to lead the nation's largest school system, was one of 14 people on the company's board of directors, and she sat on a company committee that focused on policy issues including obesity and selling soda to children. On a board that meets six times a year, she was privy to internal debates about the company's combative strategy, and there is no public evidence that she ever questioned it."

"Killer Coke Campaign Opposes Cathie Black Appointment" by Billy Wharton, Bronx County Independent Examiner, November 17, 2010
Read Article

"Black has publicly stated that she would resign from her position at Coca-Cola if it were deemed a conflict of interest. However, the Killer Coke campaign is joining others in calling for her appointment to be blocked. They described her as having an, 'immoral focus on the bottom line at the expense of the lives of children and their families,' that 'makes her unqualified for this position.'"

Open Letter to Commissioner of Education David Steiner Opposing Appointment of Cathleen Black as Chancellor of NYC Public Schools
For immediate release: November 23, 2010

Read Press Release

"...Her leadership role at Coca-Cola shows that she lacks the integrity and compassion to serve as Chancellor or a role model for young people...

"This appointment should not be about money and politics and what Big Business wants, but what is best for the children of New York City's School System. The Campaign to Stop Killer Coke, all parents and teachers demand that State and City political leaders do what's right for the City's children."

Absurdo que la UNAM mezcle la "Salud:
Vida y Equilibrio" con Coca-Cola Company y la Industria Refresquera
Ray Rogers, Director, Campaña Stop Killer Coke

Es el colmo de la hipocresía que los embotelladores de refrescos en México, representada por ANPRAC (Asociación Nacional de Productores de Refrescos y Aguas Carbonatadas), el lanzamiento de "Salud: La vida en equilibrio" de la sala de Universum, Museo de las Ciencias de la UNAM. Esta habitación está supuestamente destinada a promover un estilo de vida saludable en particular para los niños y jóvenes. Sin embargo, ANPRAC es el brazo mexicano de la American Beverage Association (ABA). Ambos ANPRAC y ABA son controladas por Coca-Cola. Esta sala no puede promover la salud.

Se trata de una estafa de relaciones públicas para perpetuar la idea de que Coca-Cola y otras compañías de refrescos se preocupan por la salud de los niños. Esta es una de las formas en que la industria de los intentos de echar la culpa de su agresiva comercialización de bebidas refrescantes no saludables, que la presión la hipertensión, la obesidad, la diabetes y la caries dental en los niños en particular. Nuevos estudios también vinculan los ingredientes en estas bebidas con el cáncer y enfermedades del corazón. El que la Universidad y el UNIVESUM que se asocie con The Coca-Cola Company y la industria de los refrescos es francamente deplorable. Sirve para promover el nombre de Coca-Cola, incluso fortaleciendo la empresa y su influencia política en México, un país en donde sigue haciendo un gran daño a la salud de sus habitantes.

México es uno de los que mas consumen refrescos en el mundo – un lugar de grandes ganancias para Coca Cola con un detrimento terrible para la salud de los mexicanos. Sin duda la obesidad y la diabetes son preocupantes aquí...

Esta conducta inaudita sólo hace Coca-Cola una empresa que la UNAM y su museo UNIVESUM deben evitar. La mejor leccion que la UNAM podría dar para promover la Salud: Vida y Equilibrio" es deslindar esta sala de la industria refresquera, preferiblemente prohibiendo todas las bebidas Coca-Cola y otros productos no saludables en la UNAM.

Leer Declaración

Absurdity at UNAM
Mixing "Health: Life and Balance" with Coca-Cola and Soft Drinks Industry
Statement from Ray Rogers, Director, Campaign to Stop Killer Coke

"It is the height of hypocrisy to have the soft drink bottlers in Mexico, represented by ANPRAC (National Association of Producers of Soft Drinks and Carbonated Water), launch the "Health: Life in Balance" room of the Universum, Museo De Las Ciencias De La Unam. This room is supposedly meant to promote a healthy life style particularly for children and youth. However, ANPRAC is the Mexican arm of the American Beverage Association (ABA).

"Both ANPRAC and the ABA are heavily dominated by Coca-Cola. This room is not about promoting health. It's a public relations scam that perpetuates the notion that Coca-Cola and other soft drink companies are concerned about the health of children. This is one of the ways that the industry attempts to shift the blame from their aggressive marketing of unhealthy soft drinks, which fuel high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and tooth decay in children particularly. New studies also link ingredients in these beverages to cancer, stroke, heart disease and other illnesses.

"For the University and the museum to be associated with The Coca-Cola Company and the soft drinks industry is deplorable. It serves to promote Coca-Cola's brand name and extends the company's and industry's political influence throughout Mexico, a country in which they continue to do great harm...

"The best example that UNAM could make to promote "Health: Life and Balance" is to disassociate it's "Health: Life and Balance" room from the soft drinks industry and remove all Coke beverages and other unhealthy products from the UNAM campus."

Read Statement

Park Slope Food Coop, Linewaiters' Gazette, March 24, 2011
Letter to the Editor, "THINGS DON'T GO BETTER WITH COKE," By Lewis Friedman
Read Letter

"Members of the Coop may ask why we are no longer selling Honest Tea?

"On March 1, The Coca-Cola Company announced that it had acquired 100% of Honest Tea. Our GM [General Meeting] has voted on three occasions to boycott Coke products joining dozens of colleges, including Rutgers and Union Theological Seminary, as well as unions such as the United Auto Workers, Service Employees International Union and New York State United Teachers. In addition, the Washington Food Co-op in Port Townsend, Washington, began a boycott of Odwalla in 2007."

'The Coca-Cola Case'
More than a documentary, it's a vehicle for a global movement for corporate accountability and union rights.
By Tom Sandborn, March 25, 2011, TheTyee.ca

Read Article

"Imagine living under conditions that mean simply joining a trade union could get you and your family members killed, your daughter gang raped or see you driven into exile by the fear of company thugs. A growing chorus of labour lawyers, social critics and human rights activists are saying that is exactly the situation facing workers employed by Coca-Cola bottlers in Third World countries. These days, some of the voices making these allegations are being raised in Canada. They say that there is a line of responsibility that runs from Coca-Cola's corporate offices in Atlanta to the violence of anti-union gunmen in the Third World — a claim that the Coca-Cola corporation steadfastly denies."

Killer Coke

"'Coca-Cola: Worldwide Icon' or 'Killer Coke: Worldwide Criminal'?" March 15, 2011
Read Article

The Campaign to Stop Killer Coke focuses on holding Coca-Cola accountable for its horrific labour, human rights and environmental abuses and undermining the health of children worldwide.

"The campaign is a movement of 'we's' and not 'I's'," said Ray Rogers, the campaign's director, "and we need all the help we can get if justice is to prevail."

Ellis Henican, a columnist for Newsday, a political analyst at the Fox News Channel, and the host of a nationally syndicated weekend show on the Talk Radio Network, interviews Corporate Campaign Director Ray Rogers about the state of labor in America and also about the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke.

"Coca-Cola au centre de conflits sur l'eau en Inde | Le geant americain est accuse de vider les nappes phreatiques. L'Etat du Kerala demande des compensations", Julien Bouissou, March 6, 2011
Read Article

"Le Parlement du Kerala, un Etat du sud de l'Inde, a vote, jeudi 24 fevrier, la mise en place d'un tribunal special pour statuer sur les demandes de compensation contre le geant americain Coca-Cola, accuse d'avoir pollue et surexploite des nappes phreatiques, mettant en danger la sante de milliers d'habitants. Pertes agricoles, pollution aquatique, maladies : le montant des dommages est evalue a 48 millions de dollars (34 millions d'euros)."

"The Parliament of Kerala, a southern state of India, voted Thursday, February 24, setting up a special tribunal to rule on compensation claims against the U.S. giant Coca-Cola, accused of having polluted and overexploited aquifers, endangering the health of thousands. Agricultural losses, water pollution, diseases: the amount of damage is estimated at $ 48 million (34 million euros)."

Link to translation


"30,000 call for Coca Cola boycott," The Norway Post, March 2, 2011
Read Article

"Around 30,000 Norwegian consumers have responded to a Facebook call for a boycott of Coca Cola products, backing the hunt for the man who murdered a Norwegian student in London three years ago. The boycott was launched in protest against the company's business connections with a wealthy Yemeni businessman, who is the father of the murder suspect, Farouk Abdulhak (24)."

"Indian state to hear claims against Coke" by Jeremiah McWilliams, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 25, 2011
Read Article

"People who claim they were hurt by Coca-Cola bottling operations in a southern India village can seek compensation from the company, according to legislation that sets up a claims tribunal in the Indian state of Kerala...

"The bill stems from complaints against Coca-Cola surrounding a bottling plant in the village of Plachimada. Seven years ago, protesters accused the Atlanta-based company of pollution and water depletion. Coca-Cola closed the plant in 2004."

"Government to Introduce Legislation To Hold Coca-Cola Accountable: Bill Allows Coca-Cola Affected Parties to Seek Compensation from Company" by India Resource Center, February 18, 2011
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"New Delhi: The state government of Kerala in India has approved a draft Bill to set up a tribunal which will allow individuals adversely affected by Coca-Cola's bottling operations in Plachimada to seek compensation from the company. The state government is expected to introduce the Bill in the state legislature next week, and the Bill is expected to pass.

"The decision to introduce the Bill to set up a mechanism to hold Coca-Cola financially accountable for the damages it has caused is a very significant move by the state government of Kerala. The passage of the Bill by the state legislature will formalize the state government's position that Coca-Cola is responsible for causing environmental damages in and around its bottling plant in Plachimada in the state of Kerala, and that the company must pay for the damages it has caused."

"Cancer fear over cola colourings: Call to ban ingredient used in Coke and Pepsi" by SEAN POULTER, Daily Mail, 17th February 2011
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" 'The caramel colouring used in Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and other foods is contaminated with two cancer-causing chemicals and should be banned,' said the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a health lobby group based in Washington, DC.

" 'In contrast to the caramel one might make at home by melting sugar in a saucepan, the artificial brown colouring in colas and some other products is made by reacting sugars with ammonia and sulphites under high pressure and temperatures.

" 'Chemical reactions result in the formation of two substances known as 2-MI and 4-MI which in government-conducted studies caused lung, liver, or thyroid cancer or leukaemia in laboratory mice or rats.' "

"Diet soda tied to stroke risk, but reasons unclear" by MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer, February 9, 2011
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"It's far from definitive proof, but new research raises concern about diet soda, finding higher risks for stroke and heart attack among people who drink it everyday versus those who drink no soda at all.

"The beverage findings should be "a wakeup call to pay attention to diet sodas," said Dr. Steven Greenberg. He is a Harvard Medical School neurologist and vice chairman of the International Stroke Conference in California, where the research was presented on Wednesday..."

"Daily diet soda drinkers (there were 116 in the study) had a 48 percent higher risk of stroke or heart attack than people who drank no soda of any kind (901 people, or 35 percent of total participants). That's after taking into account rates of smoking, diabetes, waistline size and other differences among the groups."

"Diet Soda Linked To Higher Stroke Risk" by Zoe EB, HealthRelatedInfos.com, February 10, 2011
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"Studying 2,564 people in New York revealed that people who said they drank diet sodas on a daily basis had a 61 percent higher chance of vascular events as opposed to those who didn't drink the beverages."

"Diet soda may raise odds of vascular events; salt linked to stroke risk," American Stroke Association, February 9, 2011
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Study Highlights:

  • Drinking diet soda daily is linked to a higher risk of stroke, heart attack and vascular-related deaths.
  • High salt intake may double the risk of ischemic stroke, independent of sodium's role in hypertension.

The Fight Against Outsourcing: A Tale of Two Countries:

Colombian Police Invade Coca-Cola Bottler in Medellin to Prevent Outsourced Workers from Joining SINALTRAINAL

[A key goal of the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke is to stop The Coca-Cola Company's global policy of turning employees into non-employees, known as outsourcing or subcontracting.

The vast majority of Coke workers in Colombia who wear Coke uniforms, drive Coke trucks, work in Coke plants and help make huge profits for Coke are subcontracted workers. Outsourced workers receive minimal pay, meager, if any, benefits, have no job security or future with the Company, are fired if they try to join a union and many are mired in poverty.

In April 2007, 16 Coke outsourced workers were fired for joining SINALTRAINAL, the Colombian food workers union. This was a warning to all outsourced workers in the Coca-Cola System: You have no rights! Do not join a union!—Campaign to Stop Killer Coke]

From WORKERS FIGHT, Newsletter of SINALTRAINAL, By Javier Correa, President, SINALTRAINAL

On December 18, 2010, the police entered the Coca-Cola bottler in the city of Medellin, authorized by the president of Coca-Cola. They entered with armored tanks, shields, firing weapons with chemical fumes, intimidating and pressuring the subcontracted workers who were protesting. They militarized the dispute and forced workers to desist and accept verbal commitment of the multinational that promised to resolve the conflict, but simultaneously the workers were notified of their dismissal. Since then, the police remain in the Coca-Cola bottling plant, 24 hours a day, terrorizing workers.

The police are present at all meetings of the factory, even in the restaurant area and workers take their food under pressure. This militarization of the labor dispute is an attack on international humanitarian laws is further evidence of the brutal procedure of Coca-Cola and the warmongering alliance between the military and multinational forces to suppress workers and SINALTRAINAL. Trampling on human rights, violating freedom of association and placing the lives of workers in jeopardy is done with the complicity of the authorities. [Google translation]

"Coke Tunisia: Struggle for Democracy Leads to Union Victory" by Paul Garver February 5, 2011, Talking Union
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“Trade unions played a crucial coordination and organizing role in the mass revolt in Tunisia. Communities in revolt turned to the General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT) for coordination and organization as the social movement gathered force. The social upheaval in turn strengthened the unions in their power struggles with transnational companies like Coca-Cola.

“At Coca-Cola's Tunisian bottler SFBT, the union Fédération générale de l'alimentation et du tourisme (FGAT-UGTT) seized the opportunity to negotiate an end to agency work and roll back the abusive use of precarious employment contracts. After a series of mobilizations and strikes in the 10 bottling plants, the Coke bottler had to concede the creation of 1000 new permanent positions for workers who had been employed “temporarily” for over four years, and the direct employment of another 1000 agency workers in positions covered by the union contract. These employees would also be made permanent after they had been employed for four years.

“Within Coke's global empire, from India and Pakistan through China and Colombia (to name just a few of the most egregious cases), the abusive practice of sub-contracting workers (sometimes called agency or dispatch labor) is rampant…”


"Venezuela Can 'Live Without Coca-Cola,' Chavez Says" by Charlie Devereux, Feb 4, 2011, Bloomberg
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"If Coca-Cola doesn't abide by the constitution and laws then we can live without Coca-Cola," Chavez said in comments carried on state television. "Coca-Cola is not indispensable. Who said you need Coca-Cola to live? Sugar cane juice is really good, or guava juice — I just had one."

Coca-Cola Femsa, based in Monterrey, Mexico, fell 1.6 percent to 95.3 pesos a share in Mexico City trading today.

"Chavez backs workers in dispute with Coca-Cola" February 4, 2011, Associated Press
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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is backing workers in a labor dispute with Coca-Cola's bottler in the country, saying Friday that Venezuelans can live without the American soft drink...

"If Coca-Cola doesn't want to comply with the constitution and laws, well, one can live without Coca-Cola," Chavez said during the outdoor speech in the central city of Valencia.

Local bottler Coca-Cola Femsa de Venezuela SA said last

"The Real Story Behind Bisphenol A" BY: DAVID CASE, Fast Company, February 1, 2009
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"...What we learned was shocking. To some degree, the BPA controversy is a story about a scientific dispute. But even more, it's about a battle to protect a multibillion-dollar market from regulation. In the United States, industrial chemicals are presumed safe until proven otherwise. As a result, the vast majority of the 80,000 chemicals registered to be used in products have never undergone a government safety review. Companies are left largely to police themselves.

"...But consider this: Of the more than 100 independently funded experiments on BPA, about 90% have found evidence of adverse health effects at levels similar to human exposure. On the other hand, every single industry-funded study ever conducted — 14 in all — has found no such effects."

"Coca-Cola drinks dwindle due to Venezuela strike" by Associated Press, Jan. 26, 2011
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"Rodrigo Anzola, legal director of Coca-Cola Femsa de Venezuela SA, said the strike at the company's Valencia plant continues even though there have been signs of progress in talks with union leaders. About 1,000 workers at the plant have been striking since Jan. 14 demanding pay raises and other benefits."

"Why Coca-Cola Keeps Pushing Sugary Vitaminwater as 'Nutritious'" by Melanie Warner, BNET, January 24, 2011
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"An advertising watchdog group in the UK has ruled thatCoca-Cola's (KO) Vitaminwater, while it may be 'delicious,' is definitely not 'nutritious.' Which just goes to show that the mavericks running Vitaminwater's marketing departments don't really care how many times they get caught stepping over line into deceptive marketing.

"Coca-Cola banned from claiming its Vitaminwater brand is 'nutritious' | "Advertising watchdog upholds complaints that the product actually contains 23g of sugar" By Mark Sweeney, The Guardian, January 19, 2011
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"The advertising watchdog has banned Coca-Cola from claiming its Vitaminwater brand is "nutritious", after upholding complaints that the product actually contained 23g of sugar...

" 'We considered that consumers would understand the word "nutritious" in the context of the ad as a claim that Vitaminwater contained added ingredients that were needed by the body in order to stay healthy,' the ASA said. 'However, we considered that they would not expect a "nutritious" drink to have the equivalent of four or five teaspoons of added sugar.' "

"Soda, Sugary Drinks Should Carry Warning Labels, Consumer Groups Say" by Gergana Koleva, Jan 4th 2011
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"Sweetened soft drinks are the single largest contributor of calories to the American diet and consumers will benefit from health warnings on soda bottles and cans, according to an advocacy group that is petitioning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to require new labeling messages."

"Energy drinks raise concerns; Caffeine amounts exceed limit for colas" by Sarah Okeson, News-Leader, January 3, 2011
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"There is no legal age limit for buying energy drinks, and they have been linked to abnormal heart rhythms and deaths...

"In Carl Junction, about 70 miles west of Springfield, high school football player Dakota Sailor suffered a seizure in February after drinking two 16-ounce cans of NOS which contained a total of 520 milligrams of caffeine. Sailor was revived by his father, who performed CPR on him, the Joplin Globe reported. Coca-Cola North America sells NOS."