Community Action for Justice in the Americas (CAJA)

Dear Ms. Billingsley and Ms. Soutus,

I'm writing to inform you that I am boycotting Coca-Cola products because of Coke's violation of human rights, undermining of public education, and environmental destruction. Coke's insatiable thirst for profit represents one of the worst examples of corporate greed and violence.

In Colombia, Coke bottlers have unleashed a brutal campaign to reduce labor costs.  Plant managers maintain close relations with the right-wing paramilitaries that are threatening and murdering union leaders.  Seven union leaders have been killed and 65 have received death threats. The bottlers have replaced union workers with temporary employees and contractors, many of whom earn just the minimum wage of $120 per month and don't receive benefits.  The primary Coke bottler in Colombia shut down production at eleven of its plants in September 2003 and pressured 535 workers into "voluntarily resigning" from their contracts.  In July 2004, that same bottler petitioned the Labor Ministry to revoke the union's statutes.

Instead of taking action to protect union workers in Colombia, Coke has chosen to spend money flying corporate representatives around the world in an attempt to defend the company's image.  Coke has stated, "Colombia labor union SINALTRAINAL's oft-repeated allegations against the Coca-Cola Company and its Colombian bottling partners are completely false.  They are nothing more than a shameless effort to generate publicity using the name of our company, its trademarks and brands."  Does Coke believe that Isidro Segundo Gil was trying to "generate publicity" when he was shot to death by paramilitaries inside the Coke plant in Carepa?

In India, Coke has been accused of causing severe water shortages as a result of its bottling operations in Plachimada, Mehdiganj, and Thane.  At a protest outside the Mehdiganj plant in November 2004, demonstrators were beaten up by police and more than 350 people were arrested.

In the U.S., Coke is taking advantage of the inadequate funding of public education by paying high schools and universities to promote and sell Coke products.  The administration of the University of Montana has sacrificed its educational mission in exchange for $300,000 a year from Coke.  The corporation has a monopoly for the sale of beverage products, can refer to itself as a "sponsor" of the university, and can use the university's name, teams, logos, and mascots in its advertising.  Instead of fostering critical thinking, the university is promoting the thoughtless consumption of Coke.

I refuse to support the violation of human rights, environmental destruction, and the undermining of public education. I am boycotting Coke products, and I'm encouraging my friends and family to do the same.

Boycott Coca-Cola Products

Instructions


	Community Action for Justice in the Americas
Building a grassroots people's movement for social, economic, and environmental justice throughout the Americas.