Teamsters Demand Action from Coca-Cola on Global Rights Standards
Labor Desk
February 07, 2006
Resolution Calls for Mediated Settlement
In response to a growing international campaign by students, labor and other groups protesting human rights violations at Coca-Cola bottling facilities in Colombia and around the world, delegates to the Teamsters Brewery and Soft Drink Workers Conference unanimously endorsed a resolution today authorizing its leadership to seek a just resolution of this dispute between the Coca-Cola Company and student, labor and human rights groups.
In the United States, student protests have led to universities such as Rutgers and the University of Michigan to cancel lucrative contracts for Coca- Cola products. More colleges and universities are likely to follow.
"Coca-Cola's refusal to take the students seriously is having a direct impact on the company, its reputation and the Teamsters who service university contracts," said Joe Wojciechowski, President of Teamsters Local 812, which represents nearly 2,000 Coca-Cola workers in New York.
"Our union brothers and sisters at Coca-Cola bottling facilities in Colombia have been threatened, kidnapped, tortured and murdered," said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. "It's long past time for Coca-Cola to negotiate a global human rights agreement that will protect the rights and safety of workers who produce, package and distribute Coca-Cola products."
Conference Director and Teamster International Vice President, Jack Cipriani, said Coca-Cola's labor abuses in the United States includes harassment, intimidation, discrimination and retaliation at CCE facilities as well as at Odwalla and Minute Maid operations-both wholly owned by the Coca- Cola Company.
After the resolution was passed, delegates heard from Katishi Masemola, General Secretary of the Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU), which represents approximately 6,000 Coca-Cola workers at three bottling plants in South Africa. "Our members in South Africa support you in your demand that Coca-Cola institute a human rights policy," Katishi said. "No worker should have to endure the abuse that our fellow workers in Columbia have had. We look forward to working with the Teamsters Brewery and Soft Drink Conference towards concrete solutions to these human rights indignities."
In an effort to reach out to the students who are spearheading campus protests against Coca-Cola, Teamsters will address a national meeting of the United Students Against Sweatshops later this week.
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Web site: http://www.teamster.org/
In response to a growing international campaign by students, labor and other groups protesting human rights violations at Coca-Cola bottling facilities in Colombia and around the world, delegates to the Teamsters Brewery and Soft Drink Workers Conference unanimously endorsed a resolution today authorizing its leadership to seek a just resolution of this dispute between the Coca-Cola Company and student, labor and human rights groups.
In the United States, student protests have led to universities such as Rutgers and the University of Michigan to cancel lucrative contracts for Coca- Cola products. More colleges and universities are likely to follow.
"Coca-Cola's refusal to take the students seriously is having a direct impact on the company, its reputation and the Teamsters who service university contracts," said Joe Wojciechowski, President of Teamsters Local 812, which represents nearly 2,000 Coca-Cola workers in New York.
"Our union brothers and sisters at Coca-Cola bottling facilities in Colombia have been threatened, kidnapped, tortured and murdered," said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. "It's long past time for Coca-Cola to negotiate a global human rights agreement that will protect the rights and safety of workers who produce, package and distribute Coca-Cola products."
Conference Director and Teamster International Vice President, Jack Cipriani, said Coca-Cola's labor abuses in the United States includes harassment, intimidation, discrimination and retaliation at CCE facilities as well as at Odwalla and Minute Maid operations-both wholly owned by the Coca- Cola Company.
After the resolution was passed, delegates heard from Katishi Masemola, General Secretary of the Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU), which represents approximately 6,000 Coca-Cola workers at three bottling plants in South Africa. "Our members in South Africa support you in your demand that Coca-Cola institute a human rights policy," Katishi said. "No worker should have to endure the abuse that our fellow workers in Columbia have had. We look forward to working with the Teamsters Brewery and Soft Drink Conference towards concrete solutions to these human rights indignities."
In an effort to reach out to the students who are spearheading campus protests against Coca-Cola, Teamsters will address a national meeting of the United Students Against Sweatshops later this week.
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Web site: http://www.teamster.org/
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