Racial Discrimination in Coke Plants
The Coke 16 & Campaign To Stop Killer Coke "March For Peace"
Download the flyer in .PDF
"The Coke 16 and Campaign To Stop Killer Coke were bringing awareness to the "March For Peace" participants and the Harlem community in Harlem, New York on August 25. Although there were many attempts by Coca-Cola representatives to disrupt our peaceful demonstration, they failed to do so. The march organizers, private security, and the NYPD gave us their full support, and allowed us to exercise our Constitutional right. We were also pleased with the support offered by the Harlem community and march participants who showed us much love. Thank you all."
The Coke 16
Watch on YouTube
WBAI archives for Wakeup Call Hosted by Esther Armah on WBAI Tuesday, August 14, 2012 at 6 am
A morning news magazine featuring in-depth coverage of local, national and international news, social and cultural issues and events. We bring voices and perspectives that are excluded from mainstream media. While the topics are serious and important, portions of the program are entertaining.
Will Nunez of the Coke 16 interviewed on Wakeup Call
"Coke Work Places Dubbed 'Cesspools of Racial Discrimination'" By Shirley Irons, August 1-18, 2012, Street Hype, (Page 5)
Read Article Download in .PDF
"Three Jamaicans Evon Douglas, 32, Oral Forbes, 40 and Wayne Morrison, 41, who worked at the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Elmsford, New York are making similar accusations against The Coca-Cola Company as did sixteen Black and Hispanic workers who filed a racial discrimination lawsuit in January.
"The lawsuit alleges that the Coca-Cola plants in Elmsford and in Queens, New York are "Cesspools of racial discrimination." Workers with similar grievances who work at Coke facilities in Smithtown, New York and Carlstadt, New Jersey are also fighting back against the company for horrific injustices done to them because of their color and ethnicity."
Yvette Butler, Ramon Hernandez and Ray Rogers were interviewed live on a segment of "Building Bridges" (WBAI, 99.5 fm) on June 25 with hosts Ken Nash and Mimi Rosenberg.
Listen to Interview on WBAI
Parodies of Coca-Cola's Shameless 2007 Super Bowl Black History Ads
On Thursday, February 1, 2007, a few days preceding the Super Bowl in which two Black coaches were opposing each other, an ad appeared in The New York Times . The ad highlighted the evolution of Coke's Contour Bottle and major events in Black History, including:
- Chicago, 1893: Black doctor performs first successful heart operation;
- Harlem, 1920s: An American Renaissance;
- Brooklyn, 1947: Baseball shows us courage; it's #42
Members of our Campaign saw this as a hypocritical ad and we created a factual parody seen below:
We are re-posting this since the Super Bowl will be played on Sunday, February 5,2012
The descriptions in this written-ad parody for the most part, came from The Polaris Institute's report "Inside the Real Thing: Corporate profile on Coca-Cola Corporation."
For more information about Coke's record of racial discrimination, go to "Inside the Real Thing: Corporate profile on Coca-Cola Corporation," Report by the Polaris Institute (page 40 of the document; page 42 of the file).
At the same time, QuietLibrary.com
- See Quiet Library's video of Coca-Cola Facts
- Coca-Cola Black History Timeline
Yvette Butler and Guillermo (Will) Nunez speak about "The Coke 16" on WBAI's City Watch, interviewed by Bill DiFazio, June 9, 2012
Listen to Interview
Ramon Hernandez and Will Nunez of The Coke 16 on The News Dissector Radio Show with Danny Schechter May 25, 2012
This interview of Ramon Hernandez and Will Nunez of The Coke 16 is with Danny Schechter, The News Dissector. Danny is an Emmy award-winning journalist, television producer, independent filmmaker and veteran radio personality. His latest film is "Plunder: The Crime of Our Time," which is about the "unreported story of the economic crisis, which continues to haunt millions of Americans." For further information on Danny's illustrious career, go to: PRN.fm Danny Schechter
The radio interview was to originally include David Alvarez and Luis Morales, but they were unable to participate because they recently found employment outside of Coca-Cola.
View on YouTube
"15 Minutes of Fact: On the Docket - Worker's Economic and Social Rights that Require OWS Attention" Hosted by Jerry Ashton, May 16, 2012
Interview with Coke 16's Sandra Walker
(Click on the podcast to hear interview.)
"Sandra Walker was one of 16 workers at two separate Coca-Cola plants who filed a lawsuit in January, 2012. The New York Daily News dubbed them the 'Coca-Cola 16' for this effort. (Sandra had previously filed an EEOC complaint on 11/23/11 against America's Iconic company)."
"Coke's not it: 16 workers sue, call giant 'cesspool' of racial discrimination
"Say they were given lesser assignments, unfairly disciplined and retaliated against for complaining"
By John Marzulli / New York Daily News, Friday, March 16, 2012
Read Article
"Sixteen black and Hispanic production workers are suing Coca-Cola, claiming they have been forced to work in a 'cesspool of racial discrimination.'
"The suit, filed in Brooklyn Federal Court, accuses the company of relegating minorities to less favorable assignments, unfair disciplinary action and retaliation for complaining.
" 'Coca-Cola circles its wagons and calls (the plaintiffs) "nuts" and "ingrates," ' said their lawyer, Steven Morelli.
"Several plaintiffs say they were subjected to racial epithets, and the people who used them went unpunished, according to the complaint.
"The suits are centered on two production plants — one in Maspeth, Queens, and another in Elmsford in Westchester...
" 'I've never been called so many names as I have been at Coca-Cola,' Walker told the Daily News, citing 'Nappy Head' and 'Aunt JaMamma' as examples.
"Walker describes in the complaint an incident when a white worker wore a Confederate flag on his head and another in which a white employee complaining about cleaning a sewer allegedly said: 'What am I, a n----- or something?'..."
Visit the Coke 16 Facebook page and click on "Like" to show your support.
"Shocking! Coca Cola CEO Fails Trying To Discredit The Coke 16 By Telling Lie After Lie"
Campaign to Stop Killer Coke Director Ray Rogers confronting Coke Chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent's lies at Coke's April 25, 2012 annual meeting.
The Coke 16 On Labor Forum with Dianne Mathiowetz WRFG Radio Atlanta, GA 05-08-2012
Listen to interview
Dianne Mathiowetz interviews Ramon Hernandez and Guillermo (Will) Nunez of The Coke 16 May 8, 2012 .
(Listen on YouTube)
Coca-Cola-Racism.com
See website: Coca-Cola-Racism.com
"People are suffering because of many things that you've allowed in the work place.
"Some are now fired and feeling helpless with no job, we feel betrayed, left with nothing but families who depend on us.
Coca-Cola says Putting People first, but Coke puts money first! We are People, We are Parents, We are Coke16 the new
generation."
Historic Discrimination Settlement: Ingram vs. The Coca-Cola Company
Read Report
The case involved race discrimination in promotions, compensation and evaluations. Among other things, the plaintiffs alleged a substantial difference in pay between African-American and white employees; a "glass ceiling" that kept African-Americans from advancing past entry-level management positions; "glass walls" that channeled African-Americans to management in areas like human resources and away from power centers such as marketing and finance; and senior management knowledge of these problems since 1995 and a failure to remedy them.
In early 2000, the Court ordered both sides into mediation. The parties reached agreement on a Settlement-In-Principle on June 14, 2000. A final Settlement Agreement, valued at $192.5 million and designed to ensure dramatic reform of Coca-Cola's employment practices, was officially approved by the Court on June 7, 2001.
OFCCP: Racial Discrimination Settlement
OFCCP News Release, "US Labor Department settles discrimination case with 2nd-largest Coca-Cola bottler in the nation," October 7, 2010
Read Article
"CHARLOTTE, N.C., "Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated has agreed to pay $495,000 in back wages and interest to 95 African-American and Hispanic job seekers who applied in 2002 for sales support positions at the company's Black Satchel Road distribution facility in Charlotte. The settlement follows an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs."
U.S. hiring standards get left at border
Job ads that in this country might bring lawsuits alleging bias are routine in Mexico
October 30, 2006, By Marla Dickerson and Meredith Mandell, Tribune Newspapers: Los Angeles Times
Read Article
Coca-Cola has been criticized for discriminatory workplace practices in Mexico. The Chicago Tribune (10/30/06) reported: "Job seekers considered too old, too chunky or too dark are screened out by companies that sometimes specify the ideal candidate's marital status, height, weight, tone of voice, even the part of town in which the person should reside. What is less known is that many U.S. corporations -- including Coca-Cola...are engaging in hiring practices that appear to violate their U.S. fair employment policies...
" 'Why are so many of them not complying with the same standards they have to comply with in the United States? Because they can get away with it,' said anti-discrimination attorney Gloria Allred."
