New York University boycotts Coke

Issued : Friday 9 December, 2005

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 companys 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 NYUs 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.