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 Newsletter | November 25, 2013


Unhappiness with Coke Grows!

Contents of the Newsletter

  1. Campaign Support Cuts into Coke Sales
    1. Rochester Labor Council Calls on Affiliates to Ban Coke Purchases
    2. Can't Buy a Coke at Associated Musicians of Greater New York, AFM Local 802
    3. Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY, Continues Its Boycott of Coke
  2. Anarcho Feminists — University of Ottawa, Canada
  3. Gay Protests Against Coke for Sponsoring Olympics
  4. Popular & Powerful PowerPoint Presentation
  5. Ray Rogers Interview on MNN Television
  6. The Other Side of Coke
  7. Melvin (2000 - 2013): We All Love and Miss You

1. Campaign Support Cuts into Coke Sales

A. Rochester Labor Council Calls on Affiliates to Ban Coke Purchases

The Executive Board of the Rochester Labor Council, AFL-CIO (New York), a part of the Rochester & Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation representing 100,000 members, endorsed the Killer Coke campaign and unanimously adopted the following resolution, which was then approved by the delegates:

"Resolution adopted by the Rochester Labor Council, AFL-CIO 10 September 2013 calling on affiliates to ban purchases of Coke

"WHEREAS, Coca-Cola Bottling plants in Colombia routinely allow and encourage paramilitary death squads to murder, torture and kidnap union leaders and organizers, therefore be it,

"Resolved, That the Rochester Labor Council requests that its affiliates remove all Coca-Cola products from all facilities, until this issue is resolves, and be it further

"Resolved, That the Rochester Labor Council requests that all unions stop purchasing all Coca-Cola products until this issue is resolved."

B. Can't Buy a Coke at Associated Musicians of Greater New York, AFM Local 802

The American Federation of Musicians Local 802 is one of the largest local unions of professional musicians in the world. It fights for the common interests of all musicians by advancing industry standards that dignify their labor and honor and enrich their art. The union is also an advocate for economic and social justice for musicians and for society as a whole.

Below is a photo of the Coke machine at Local 802 with a sign placed on the machine by John O'Connor, Recording Vice President, of the local.

Killer Coke Killer Coke

C. Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY, Continues Its Boycott of Coke

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The October 29, 2013 General Meeting of the 16,000-member Park Slope Food Coop voted once again overwhelmingly "for the continuation of the Coop's longstanding boycott of Coca-Cola products..."

Coop member Lewis Friedman spoke for the continuation of the Coca-Cola boycott, "providing a long list of the Coca-Cola company's policies on labor, economy and the environment in the United States and internationally..."

Linewaiters' Gazette, November 14, 2013, Park Slope Food Coop

2. Anarcho Feminists - University of Ottawa, Canada

"ANARCHO FEMINISTS HIJACK COCA-COLA BANNER: NOSTALGICA SIGN STOLEN IN PROTEST OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS" by Daniel Leroy, The University of Ottawa's fulcrum, Oct 10, 2013
Read Article

"An activist group by the name of Anarcho Feministe Outaouais stole the Coca-Cola banner from Cafe Nostalgica on Sept. 25 and asked the Graduate Students' Association (GSAED) to sever ties to the company.

"The group explained its motives in a letter sent to the GSAED, which runs Cafe Nostalgica.

" 'We find it unacceptable that the student union, GSAED, accepts to be sponsored by a multinational guilty of serious anti-union practices and human rights violations,' the letter read...

Killer Coke

Read letters from Anarcho Feministe Outaouais and GSAED

"GSAED explained the history of the Coca-Cola banner and the company's relationship with the organization. Wolfe said the University of Ottawa administration had 'coerced' the Alumni Association to accept a campus-wide beverage exclusivity contract in 1998."

3. Gay Protests Against Coke for Sponsoring Olympics

"LGBT Activists Dump Coca-Cola in Times Square in Response to Sochi 2014 Sponsorship," By Joseph Ehrman-Dupre, Towleroad

"Gay groups charge the beverage giant of sponsoring hate and will dump Coke into the street and will crush Coke cans to protest the company's continuing silence on Russia's anti-LGBT law and to demand that it immediately withdraw its corporate sponsorship of the Games..." according to an article in The Moscow Times.

Towleroad noted: " 'By sponsoring the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Coca-Cola is associating its brands with state-sanctioned gay-bashing...'

"Queer Nation's [Alan] Klein added, 'Sponsoring the Games gives legitimacy to the host nation and that is exactly what Coca-Cola did when it sponsored the 1936 Games in Nazi Germany. We hope that Coca-Cola does not ignore its own history and does the right thing by refusing to support another regime that targets groups for hatred.' "

"Coca-cola is a company that has never respected human rights whenever maximizing profits clashes with human rights," said Campaign to Stop Killer Coke Director Ray Rogers.

In April 2008 the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke provided proxies for Tibetans to attend the annual meeting. Two of the Tibetans spoke taking the position that Coke should use its influence to ensure that the Olympic torch is not carried through Tibet. "This will cause bloodshed!" Isdell responded with spin, causing Lebsang Choephel, whose brother was killed in Tibet last month, to shout: "You are counting money! We are counting lives!"

Killer Coke

Watch Video on YouTube

4. Popular & Powerful PowerPoint Presentation

We have received rave reviews regarding our PowerPoint presentation, "Coca-Cola: American Icon or Corporate Criminal?" The presentation highlights Coke's labor/human rights abuses in China, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, India, Mexico and the United States. Also highlighted are the executives, directors and Warren Buffett, the company's largest shareholder and a former director, who are the people behind this company's irresponsible policies and unbridled greed.

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This PowerPoint presentation can be used in classrooms, union halls, community meetings and other venues to educate the public about the crimes and unethical conduct of The Coca-Cola Company and its bottlers. It can also be used by supporters of the Campaign to send to school administrators, union leaders, clergy, political representatives and others to educate them and counter the misinformation that Coca-Cola continuously emits using its annual multi-billion dollar advertising budget.

Killer Coke Powerpoint Presentation

5. Ray Rogers Interview on MNN Television

On Nov. 8, 2013, Frank Craven, host of What's Ailing/Healing US America? (WAHA) which airs every Friday at 9:30 pm on Manhattan Neighborhood Network cable TV, interviewed Campaign to Stop Killer Coke Director Ray Rogers. Ray talks about "confronting power with power" and strategies and tactics to win labor, human rights and environmental struggles. Part of the interview focuses on Coca-Cola's continuing human rights abuses in Latin America and numerous racial discrimination cases in New York.

Killer Coke

Watch on YouTube

6. The Other Side of Coke

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Created by a student in London, UK

The Text in the image reads:

Hey You!

THE OTHER SIDE OF COKE

309

Environmental issues

Coca-Cola uses 309 billion litres of water annually to produce its beverages. Out of the total amount, only half is being used for the actual product, the other half is being wasted and that leads to contamination of soil and water shortage.

Graphic Design comes with Power

As a future Graphic Designer you have an overwhelming amount of power to influence society with your creative talents, but with power comes responsibility.

# # #

13.9

Socially irresponsible

While many families in America are facing a tax increase and cuts in critical programs such as education and health care, Coca-Cola Company ranks 11 in tax avoidance with $13.9 Billion in offshore accounts.

Responsibility

You are responsible to many people and the commercial aspect of the work you are doing can influence and distort the reality of the product you are trying to advertise.

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9

Murder of union leaders

Colombian trade union Sinaltrainal called for an international boycott of Coca-Cola products because many workers and family members have been intimidated, tortured, kidnapped, illegally detained and/or murdered by paramilitaries who have a history of working closely with management. It is believed that 9 union leaders have been murdered so far.

Critical thinking

Your critical thinking will help you in time decide what is socially right, what is right for the environment and most importantly what is ethically right.

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2.9

WOULD YOU STILL ADVERTISE COKE?

Unethical advertising Coca-Cola advertising budget is 2.9 billion dollars and there are 1.8 billion servings of Coke sold every day all across the world. Reuters reported that U.S. children are now seeing far more Coca-Cola ads than before, with black and Hispanics being major targets.

Ethical implications

Learn to say "NO" when asked to do work for corporations which have an ethos and code of practice you do not agree with. Remember you are a person first and graphic designer second!

7. Melvin (2000 - 2013) : We all love and miss you

Killer Coke Killer Coke

On November 12, our beloved cat Melvin journeyed to Cat Heaven. Ray Rogers rescued Melvin in East Harlem, New York, and brought him to Corporate Campaign's office where everyone fell in love with him. Although he had many friends from outside the office, Melvin, the dog chaser, was also considered a terror on the 3rd floor, striking fear into the hearts of all dogs and their owners who dared to pass our office.

Each year, Melvin went for his annual checkups and was always fed a diet of high-quality cat food free of artificial ingredients and he regularly munched on his wheat grass plants.

Unfortunately, in 2011, Melvin was diagnosed with nasal Oncocytoma, an extremely rare and inoperable cancer of which only a handful of cases had been reported in cats and humans. Veterinarians expected him to survive only a matter of weeks.

Upon his diagnosis, photojournalist friend, Nancy Siesel and Ray studied up on holistic medicines. Within two weeks on a diet that included Hoxsey Boneset, a mixture of cancer-fighting herbs for cats and dogs; Immunio-DMG liquid to support his immune system, and Plant Enzymes & Probiotics, an all natural digestive aid, Melvin regained his weight and energy and enjoyed a good quality of life until his peaceful passing.

Melvin appears in the film, "The Coca-Cola Case," available from Netflix and in a photo in the New York Daily News.

Melvin was named by the late Joe Pilati, Corporate Campaign's long-time editor/journalist, based upon a Mad magazine character named Melvin Kowznofski, who made his first appearance in Mad #1 (seen above). Melvin was #1 in our book. He was a great sport and will be missed by all, including his close friend from down the hall, Myrna Greenfield, who came in daily to brush him and who considers herself a realist but still entertains the possibility that she will see Melvin peering through the glass doors of the Campaign awaiting her (or anyone's) arrival!