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 | November 15, 2005


Contents of the Newsletter

  1. International Labor Rights Executive Director Terry Collingsworth's letter rebukes Ed Potter, Coca-Cola's Director of Global Labor Relations, regarding their Nov. 11th meeting in New York City
  2. Press Conference & Rally: Converge on Atlanta at the World of Coca-Cola on Friday, November 18 on the way to SOA demonstration!
  3. Killer Coke Campaign Tables & Literature at SOA Vigil and Convention Center Events, Ft. Benning, Georgia
  4. Hear Campaign Director Ray Rogers at Northwest Airlines strike rally in Bloomington, Minn. on Nov. 19: No Coke products allowed at rally! (See flyer)
  5. Outraged Students Leave Coke Commission: Public Statement
  6. Report on the October 26th Coca-Cola demonstration and march to the Colombian Consulate in New York City.
  7. Municipalities in Rome protest Coca-Cola sponsorship of the Olympics, and refuse access to Olympic torchbearers
  8. New Democratic Party, Canada, Urges School Board to Rethink Coke Deals Because of Human Rights Abuses
  9. Articles
  10. Do you need a customized Campaign leaflet?
  11. The Campaign's 'Campus Activism' Section
  12. Search KillerCoke.org's Website on Google from our Home Page
  13. Take Actions Against Coke!
  14. Please send photos, reports of events, etc. for the Campaign website

1. International Labor Rights Executive Director Terry Collingsworth's letter rebukes Ed Potter, Coca-Cola's Director of Global Labor Relations, regarding their Nov. 11th meeting in New York City
"…we cannot prejudice our clients by agreeing to bury evidence that would support their claims…I reached the inescapable conclusion that Coca-Cola has now acknowledged that it has been proceeding in bad faith in its dealings with concerned consumers, including the university community…I am now so appalled by Coca-Cola's dishonesty in its assertions to the consuming public, I am going to devote a significant part of my time to speaking at universities to correct the record…"
Read Letter

2. Press Conference & Rally: Converge on Atlanta at the World of Coca-Cola on Friday, November 18 on the way to SOA demonstration!
Join the international movement for justice and human rights against the Coca-Cola Company for murder, torture, union-busting and environmental abuses throughout the world!

At the Entrance of the World of Coca-Cola - Friday, November 18, 2005, noon

55 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive (at Central Ave) Atlanta, GA

Direction to the World of Coca-Cola

Noon - Rally & Press Conf with William Mendoza, Coca-Cola Worker & Vice President of SINALTRAINAL (Colombian Food & Beverage Workers' Union)

Demand: Coca-Cola Take Responsibility & Immediate Action for Truth, Justice, & Reparations!

Contact information: Camilo A. Romero || 510.7174227 ||

organize@usasnet.org || www.studentsagainstsweatshops.org

Join us in taking an important and historic step for local peace and global justice! Spread the word about the Stop Killer Coke campaign and the November 18 action in Atlanta!

3. Killer Coke Campaign Tables & Literature at SOA Vigil and Convention Center Events, Ft. Benning, Georgia
The Campaign will have tables at the SOA Watch events. Camilo Romero (510-717-4227) and Vanessa Cudabac will be present. The Campaign has shipped more than 20,000 leaflets, posters and stickers to distribute. Last year, we distributed everything we had — more than 16,000 pieces of literature. Please join them in handing out the materials and building support for the Campaign.

4. Hear Campaign Director Ray Rogers at Northwest Airlines strike rally in Bloomington, Minn. on Nov. 19: No Coke products allowed at rally!
Forty four hundred mechanics, custodians and cleaners at Northwest Airlines have been on strike for nearly three months. The company has outsourced the jobs of and permanently replaced nearly all the workers in one of the most ruthless attacks on labor unions in recent history. No one should fly Northwest Airlines until the strike is settled. Below are links to the flyer prepared for the Saturday, Nov. 19th Bloomington, Minn. Solidarity, Strategy & Fightback rally and a two-sided leaflet focusing on one of the directors and the issues surrounding the strike.
See Rally Flyer
Read about the issues and how you can help

5. Outraged Students Leave Coke Commission: Public Statement"
"…we feel compelled to leave the commission at this point for three reasons. First, we feel that Coca-Cola is blocking the commission's progress; Secondly, Coca-Cola is hiding behind the commission; Finally, there are a growing number of reports of human rights abuses perpetrated by Coke affiliates across the globe."
Read Statement

6. Report on the October 26th Coca-Cola demonstration and march to the Colombian Consulate in New York City.
USAS led an Oct. 26 demonstration at a Coca-Cola office on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The same building also houses the offices of Allen & Co. Herbert Allen, president & CEO of Allen & Co. and Donald Keough, chairman of the board of Allen & Co., are on the board of directors of The Coca-Cola Co. SunTrust Banks, the bank of Killer Coke, leases offices in the building, which is owned by a Coca-Cola subsidiary. We then marched down 5th Avenue to the Colombian consulate on 46th Street.

USAS National Organizer Camilo Romero reports on the event.

Killer Coke

Read Report

7. Municipalities in Rome protest Coca-Cola sponsorship of the Olympics, and refuse access to Olympic torchbearers
"The issue arose from a decision by Rome's eleventh municipal authority, which claims that the Olympic sponsor is breaching workers' rights in Colombia, and will not allow the flame to pass through its territory. It might sound like an isolated case, but it isn't. A similar decision was taken by another of the municipalities the flame was supposed to cross after a unanimous vote, with even rightwing National Alliance in favour…"

Corriere Della Sera.it, "Olympics and Coca-Cola Promote Clash on Left," By Alessandro Capponi, November 7, 2005
Read Article

8. New Democratic Party, Canada, Urges School Board to Rethink Coke Deals Because of Human Rights Abuses
"NDP Howard Hampton and NDP Education Critic Rosario Marchese today called on Ontario's learning institutions to support human rights for working people in South America by reconsidering exclusivity contracts with Coca-Cola…

" 'Workers in Colombia are putting themselves at risk to organize Coca-Cola bottling plants and to have their human rights respected. Ontario school boards, colleges and universities can show solidarity with this struggle by reconsidering exclusivity contracts with Coca-Cola,' Hampton said."
Read Press Release

9. Articles

The Brown Daily Herald (Brown University), "NYU may soon wash its hands of Coca-Cola," By Meryl Rothstein, Novembe 10, 2005
Read Article

Washington Square News, "Senate finally gets it right," by WSN editorial board, November 8, 2005
Read Editorial

Washington Square News, "Coca-Cola given ultimatum: Unless Coke complies, ban to be enacted Dec. 8," By Barbara Leonard, November 4, 2005
Read Article

Speak Left (Connecticut College), "Declaration of Connecticut College Students for a Coca-Cola Boycott," By Scott Borchert, October 7, 2005
Read Article
Read CCLeft's Website
See Connecticut College's Campaign Photos

the stoney brook Statesman, (Stony Brook University-SUNY), "A Sense of Real Politics," By William James, November 10, 2005
Read Article

The Minnesota Daily, "University should cease partnership with Coke," By Vladimir Makarov, November 10, 2005
Read Article

The Daily Vanguard (Portland State University), "Colombia and Coke: a bad mix at PSU," By Treasure Porth, November 9, 2005
Read Article

The Michigan Daily, "Viewpoint: The Coke Coalition responds," By The Coke Coalition, November 8, 2005
Read Article

10. Do you need a customized Campaign leaflet?
In mid-September, the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke sent out a bulletin that listed links to customized leaflets for numerous colleges. We invited supporters to contact us to "customize a leaflet for your campus, union or group." The response was terrific! We immediately began getting emails asking us to produce customized leaflets for numerous colleges, universities, high schools and middle schools, some with which we had had no contact. We put them up as soon as we could. We have leaflets for Australia, Canada, Colombia (in Spanish), India, Ireland, the UK and the US. And now, in mid-November, we still get requests for customized leaflets.
Look for your customized leaflets

If you would like a customized leaflet, please contact us at info@KillerCoke.org. Please state the name of your school and the name of the sponsoring group and a local email address, if you want us to put them into the flyer. If you want the flyer for a group, please state the name of the group and an email address.

11. The Campaign's 'Campus Activism' Section
Students have been writing us from schools interested in beginning a Campaign to Stop Killer Coke. We recommend that students begin by checking out the two organizing packets in our "Campus Activism" section:

1. "Unthinkable! Undrinkable! A Campus Campaign Overview," a USAS Campus Guide

2. Campus Activism Packet — Campaign for a Coca-Cola Free Campus

In addition, there are numerous reports, resolutions and articles in the "Campus Activism" section that can be useful to students.

12. Search KillerCoke.org's Website on Google from our Home Page
We've added a Google SiteSearch so that you can search our website for any information you may need. You can do this search from below the "Breaking News" box on our home page.

13. Take Actions Against Coke!

14. Please send photos, reports of events, etc. for the Campaign website Please send photos, reports of events, and if you are in a school, union or organization that has banned Coke products, please send us the resolution or description of how the decision was made. We would like the Campaign website to be up-to-date and to share the information with all supporters via our newsletter.

In addition, we would still appreciate an e-mail to stopkillercoke(at)aol.com with your name and city-state/province-country for our database so that we can contact you when there are events in your area.


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