Killer Coke
A Never-ending Story of Exploitation, Greed, Lies, Cover-ups and Complicity in Kidnapping, Torture, Murder and other Gross Human Rights Abuses

Killer Coke Update | December 30, 2005


Coke Suffers Another Major Defeat
University of Michigan Suspends Sale of Coke Products
Victory for Student Coalition

December 30, 2005

The University of Michigan announced on December 29, 2005, that it has suspended sales of Coca-Cola products after more than a year-long campaign by the Coalition to Cut the Contract with Coca-Cola, a coalition of 20 campus organizations. Since this past May, three of the largest universities have removed and banned the sale of Coke products on their campuses — they are the University of Michigan, Rutgers University and New York University.

Campaign to Stop Killer Coke Director Ray Rogers stated: "What the students at the University of Michigan have accomplished is another great step forward to force The Coca-Cola Co. to end its massive human rights and environmental abuses. The movement to hold Coke accountable by growing numbers of campuses, human rights and labor organizations throughout Canada, Europe, Latin America, the U.S., and elsewhere, is beyond Coke's control and the Company will continue to suffer heavy losses financially and to its image until it acts responsibly."

The Coalition to Cut the Contract with Coca-Cola, while "elated" with the decision to suspend business with Coke, critically stated: "the Coalition is concerned that the University still asserts that the Coca-Cola Company is acting in 'good faith' concerning their environmental and human rights abuses...It is our hope that the University will clearly articulate that the contracts were suspended because Coca-Cola is violating the ethical standards of the University and that the Company has done nothing to change."
Read press release from Coalition
Read AP story in ABC News
Read Article in The Michigan Daily

The University considers this suspension "temporary." They state in a letter to Coke "...we will continue to adhere to the University of Michigan's process as established through the DRB (Dispute Review Board) and temporarily suspend University purchasing of Coca-Cola products beginning on January 1, 2006. This decision involves not granting any additional extensions to contracts that already have expired...We plan to resume University procurement of Coca-Cola products if the details of an independent, third party investigation in Colombia can be resolved to our mutual satisfaction..."
Read letter from U of M Administration to Coke

The Campaign to Stop Killer Coke cannot see Coke agreeing to an independent investigation by legitimate human rights groups without massive pressure, since the Company is clearly covering up the truth. In fact, the letters that were exchanged between Coke Director of Global Labor Relations Ed Potter and International Labor Rights Fund Executive Director Terry Collingsworth, and who is lead counsel in the Alien Tort Claims lawsuit, show that Coke does not want an investigation that will show complicity in human rights abuses.
Read Collingsworth Letter of Nov. 14
Read Potter Letter of Nov. 16
Read Collingsworth Letter of Nov 21

The University of Michigan, with more than 54,000 students on its three campuses, has held 13 contracts with Coke with a yearly expenditure of $1.4 million. Most of the contracts expired between June and November, but because of the campaign waged by the Coalition, the University did not enter into any new contracts, although the expired contracts were extended through the end of the year.

The Campaign to Stop Killer Coke congratulates the Coalition for their terrific work to bring about this important victory.


Campaign to Stop KILLER COKE

We are seeking your help to stop a gruesome cycle of murders, kidnappings, and torture of union leaders and organizers involved in daily life-and-death struggles at Coca-Cola bottling plants in Colombia, South America.

"If we lose the fight against Coca-Cola, we will first lose our union, next our jobs and then our lives." SINALTRAINAL VIce President Juan Carlos Galvis


Please donate to the Campaign.


Learn the truth about The Coca-Cola Co.

"We believe the evidence shows that Coca-Cola and its corporate network are rife with immorality, corruption and complicity in murder."
Campaign to Stop Killer Coke/Corporate Campaign, Inc. Director Ray Rogers

Visit www.KillerCoke.org