more on Summary U. of Michigan Becomes 10th College to Join Boycott of Coke - New York Times

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/31/business/31coke.html


By MELANIE WARNER When students at the University of Michigan return  
to campus next week after the holiday break, they will find the Coke  
machines and fountain dispensers empty.

The university, which has 50,000 students on three campuses, on  
Thursday became the 10th college to stop selling Coca-Cola products  
because of concerns arising from accusations about the company's  
treatment of workers in bottling plants in Colombia and environmental  
problems in India.

...Labor activists have said that Coca-Cola, through its Latin  
American bottlers, has been complicit in the deaths of eight union  
leaders and in continued harassment of unionized employees.

In India, a different group of activists have accused Coke of  
polluting the soil and groundwater near several bottling plants, of  
severely reducing groundwater levels in drought-prone areas and of  
failing to install adequate filtration systems that would remove  
pesticides from the water used to make its products.

The activists, led by two groups, Corporate Accountability  
International and the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke, have found a  
sympathetic ear on college campuses.

Within the last year, New York University, Rutgers University in New  
Jersey and Santa Clara University in California, among others, have  
stopped selling Coke products, which include Sprite, Dasani water,  
Minute Maid juice and Powerade sports drinks.

...Unsatisfied, the University of Michigan and five universities that  
still sell Coke products have called for an independent investigation  
of both the Colombia and India situations.

...In the fiscal year 2005, the University of Michigan had 13  
contracts for selling Coca-Cola products, totaling $1.4 million.

-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as lists-ip () insecure org
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/