NEW YORK UNIVERSITY BANS COCA-COLA
FOR ITS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN COLOMBIA
On Nov. 28, Coca-Cola spokesperson Kari Bjorhus expressed concern regarding
the possible removal of Coke products from NYU. She told the Washington
Square News: “NYU is a trendsetting university, and that could
greatly harm our reputation.”
In the New York metropolitan area, NYU joins Rutgers University, one
of the largest state universities in the country, and Union Theological
Seminary in banning Coke products from their campuses since last spring.
During the same period, St. Peters Prep, a Jesuit high school in Jersey
City, removed all Coke products from its campus after students and faculty
members waged a campaign to ban Coke.
“We applaud the students on the hard-won victory at New York
University to hold Coca-Cola accountable for its serious human rights
abuses in Colombia and around the world,” said Campaign to Stop
Killer Coke Director Ray Rogers (www.KillerCoke.org).
“The world becomes a better place when students act to end terrible
wrongs plaguing our society.”
“This victory becomes even sweeter when one recognizes that Coca-Cola
board member Barry Diller, chairman and chief executive officer of IAC/InterActiveCorp,
is on the Board of Trustees of New York University,” added Rogers.
“I hope that students will continue their campaign by seeking
to hold Diller accountable. Coke’s problems are only going to
mushroom at colleges, universities and high schools, while support continues
to grow among unions, human rights groups and others.”
Press release from the student Campaign to Stop Killer Coke at NYU:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NYU BANS COCA-COLA FOR ITS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN COLOMBIA
New York, December 8, 2005 — New York University will begin
removing all Coca-Cola products from its campus on December 9th in
protest of the company’s failure to submit to an independent
investigation of its bottling plants in Colombia, where workers have
accused Coke of human rights abuses. New York City Councilmember Hiram
Monserrate who led a delegation to Colombia that concluded “It
seems indisputable that Coke workers have been systematically persecuted
for their union activity,” will conduct a press conference on
Monday, December 12th to celebrate the most recent victory in a campaign
that has inspired boycotts at 11 other schools.
Students at over 70 colleges and universities across the country
have called for an investigation into allegations made by members
of SINALTRAINAL, the national food and beverage workers’ union
in Colombia. Over the last 16 years, seven Coca-Cola workers affiliated
with SINALTRAINAL have been murdered, and countless others have been
harassed, intimidated, threatened, kidnapped and/or fired for their
union activities.
The student campaign to ban Coke at NYU has garnered support among
the student body through a series of educational events, and demonstrations
on campus, since its inception in March of 2004. A petition has been
endorsed by many student clubs as well as the University Committee
on Student Life (UCSL), representing all student councils from all
of NYU’s 14 schools. On November 3rd, the All University Senate
(AUS), the highest decision-making body of the university, representing
students, faculty and administrators, voted to support the student
resolution to stop the sale and distribution of Coca-Cola products
on campus until the company agrees to an independent investigation.
After over six months of deliberation by the AUS, the resolution passed
despite the testimony of Coca-Cola representatives who spoke at a
specially arranged AUS forum.
The ban at NYU comes at a time when pressure is mounting from various
groups — both in the U.S. and abroad — for Coke to address
concerns of human rights abuses in India, Turkey, Pakistan, and Guatemala
as well as Colombia.
City Council Member Hiram Monserrate can be contacted at city hall
at 212.788.6862. A copy of the delegation's final report can be read
at www.killercoke.org/report.htm.
The Campaign to Stop Killer Coke is reachable at 718.852.2808. The
student campaign at NYU can be contacted at 406.381.2299.
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