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

Resolution to ban all Coke products from all OPSEU offices and functions

SUBMITTED BY LOCAL 479
ALSO SUBMITTED BY LOCAL 262, SOUTH WEST AREA COUNCIL,
GREATER TORONTO AREA COUNCIL, SUDBURY AREA COUNCIL,
PWC, PHRC, PYWC

WHEREAS SINALTRAINAL, the union of workers employed in the food industry in Colombia, filed a lawsuit under the Alien Tort Claims Act against Coca-Cola Co. and its Colombian bottlers in 2001; and

WHEREAS the case sues Coca-Cola and their bottling plants for the murder of Isidro Segundo Gil, and for having "contracted with or otherwise directed paramilitary security forces to utilize extreme violence and murdered, tortured, unlawfully detained or otherwise silenced trade union leaders" and

WHEREAS New York City Council member, Hiram Montserrate, led a delegation of labour, student and academic representatives on a 10-day fact finding mission in Colombia and concluded that "Coca-Cola is complicit in human rights abuses of its workers in Colombia" and its "complicity is deepened by its repeated pattern of bringing criminal charges against union activists who have spoken out about the company's collusion with paramilitaries;" and

WHEREAS SINALTRAINAL has started a campaign and passed a resolution calling for the boycott of all Coca-Cola products; and finally

WHEREAS no organization or public institution concerned with labour and human rights should lend its name and credibility to Coca-Cola by serving as a marketplace or venue for its sales and advertising;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT OPSEU will support the petition campaign against Coca-Cola's board of directors and will ban all Coke products from all OPSEU offices and functions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT OPSEU ask all its locals and other unions to similarly end the provision and sale of all Coca-Cola products including Dasani and Nestle water, Fanta, Minute Maid, Nestea, Odwalla, Powerade and Sprite; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT OPSEU, through NUPGE, lobby the Harper Government to end negotiations of a free trade agreement with Colombia that fails to pressure the Colombian Government to sanction Coca-Cola for its anti-union activities and violence; and finally

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT OPSEU communicate to Coca-Cola that until the situation involving SINALTRAINAL is resolved and the safety and rights of workers in the Coca-Cola Colombian bottling plants are protected, OPSEU will continue the boycott and information campaign against Coca-Cola.