Coke suffers another major defeat - University of Michigan suspends sale of Coke Products

Issued : Tuesday 3 January, 2006

Victory for Student Coalition

The University of Michigan announced on December 29, 2005, that it has suspended sales of Coca-Cola products after more than a year-long campaign by the Coalition to Cut the Contract with Coca-Cola, a coalition of 20 campus organizations. Since this past May, three of the largest universities have removed and banned the sale of Coke products on their campuses they are the University of Michigan, Rutgers University and New York University.

Campaign to Stop Killer Coke Director Ray Rogers stated: What the students at the University of Michigan have accomplished is another great step forward to force The Coca-Cola Co. to end its massive human rights and environmental abuses. The movement to hold Coke accountable by growing numbers of campuses, human rights and labor organizations throughout Canada, Europe, Latin America, the U.S., and elsewhere, is beyond Cokes control and the Company will continue to suffer heavy losses financially and to its image until it acts responsibly.

The Coalition to Cut the Contract with Coca-Cola, while elated with the decision to suspend business with Coke, critically stated: the Coalition is concerned that the University still asserts that the Coca-Cola Company is acting in good faith concerning their environmental and human rights abusesIt is our hope that the University will clearly articulate that the contracts were suspended because Coca-Cola is violating the ethical standards of the University and that the Company has done nothing to change.