NYU student senate may end Coke ban Thursday
by Sergio Hernandez | Washington Square News (New York University)
Issue date: 4/16/08 Section: News
(U-WIRE)NEW YORK, NY — The University Senate will vote Thursday on whether to repeal NYU's ban on Coca-Cola products, potentially ending a 28-month ban on the soft drink and angering students who continue to accuse the company of labor and human rights violations.
In December 2005, the Senate passed a resolution banning the sale of Coca-Cola products on campus until the company agreed to an investigation of allegations that it sponsored the murder of union leaders at its Colombian bottling factory. But while supporters of the ban say little has changed, the Senate is nonetheless voting on whether to approve the resolution rescinding the ban later this week.
Late last month, a coalition of student groups from NYU's School of Law submitted a report to the Public Affairs Committee objecting to the resolution.
The report - undersigned by groups including the Latino Law Students Association, Law Students for Economic Justice, Law Students for Human Rights, Law Students for Reproductive Justice, Coalition for Legal Recruiting, National Lawyers Guild and OUTLaw - pleaded to uphold the Coke ban.
"The bottom line is that Coke's purported willingness to allow an investigation is a pretext to justify lifting the ban," the law students' report said. "Coke has not agreed to an independent investigation. More importantly, they have not changed their policies in Colombia. At the very least, NYU should await unequivocal evidence that Coke has met the terms of NYU's 2005 resolution before considering lifting the ban."
The dispute gained notoriety in July 2001 after the United Steelworkers of America and the International Labor Rights Fund, working on behalf of Colombian food trade union SINALTRAINAL, filed a $500 million lawsuit against Coca-Cola in Miami district court. Although the charges against Coca-Cola itself were eventually dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, a boycott movement - dubbed the "Campaign to Stop Killer Coke" - quickly gained traction among activists and, in particular, college students.
In December 2005, the Senate passed a resolution banning the sale of Coca-Cola products on campus until the company agreed to an investigation of allegations that it sponsored the murder of union leaders at its Colombian bottling factory. But while supporters of the ban say little has changed, the Senate is nonetheless voting on whether to approve the resolution rescinding the ban later this week.
Late last month, a coalition of student groups from NYU's School of Law submitted a report to the Public Affairs Committee objecting to the resolution.
The report - undersigned by groups including the Latino Law Students Association, Law Students for Economic Justice, Law Students for Human Rights, Law Students for Reproductive Justice, Coalition for Legal Recruiting, National Lawyers Guild and OUTLaw - pleaded to uphold the Coke ban.
"The bottom line is that Coke's purported willingness to allow an investigation is a pretext to justify lifting the ban," the law students' report said. "Coke has not agreed to an independent investigation. More importantly, they have not changed their policies in Colombia. At the very least, NYU should await unequivocal evidence that Coke has met the terms of NYU's 2005 resolution before considering lifting the ban."
The dispute gained notoriety in July 2001 after the United Steelworkers of America and the International Labor Rights Fund, working on behalf of Colombian food trade union SINALTRAINAL, filed a $500 million lawsuit against Coca-Cola in Miami district court. Although the charges against Coca-Cola itself were eventually dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, a boycott movement - dubbed the "Campaign to Stop Killer Coke" - quickly gained traction among activists and, in particular, college students.
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