| April 9, 2008 Coca-Cola accused of human rights abuses
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(NECN: Worcester, Mass.) - Some Worcester college students have a bone to pick with Coca-Cola.
Script:
With musical acts and signs, a group of Clark University students drew attention to the center of campus Wednesday hoping to get their message across.
The group, called Campus Accountability Now, is against the distribution of Coca-Cola products, accusing the company of human rights abuses.
Jeremy Weil: “In Columbia, they have been connected with murdering union leaders at plants, and in India, they have taken so much water out of the ground that villages cant have access to water essentially.”
A statement from the Coca-Cola company says: “The accusations being made are false. We are sincere in our commitment to being part of the problems facing Columbia and in ensuring fair labor practices everywhere we do business. We will continue to welcome public, private, union and civil partners that are forming to address these issues. Around the world Coca-Cola workers are free to exercise their rights to union membership and collective bargaining without pressure.”
These students are encouraging campus officials to reject their contract with Coca-Cola and sign on a more local brand.
Coke is the sole soda supplier at Clark, which means you can't find a competitor’s soft drink anywhere on campus.
Passing out cans of soda from Worcester based Polar beverages, organizers encouraged classmates to make the switch.
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