_Coca-Cola’s Denials of Human and Labor Rights Violations Exposed _

Chicago, Il – In a spectacular development, Colombian trade unionist Luis Adolfo Cardona can breathe easy again after winning political asylum in the U.S. Cardona escaped kidnapping and execution by Coca-Cola’s death squads in 1996. On Dec. 5, 1996, the day before union negotiations were to begin, a Coca-Cola death squad came to the bottling plant where Cardona worked and shot dead the lead union negotiator Isidro Gil. The same paramilitary gang kidnapped Luis Adolfo Cardona that afternoon, but he escaped using his skills as a semi-professional soccer player to tear away and dodge their attempts to shoot him down. Later that night, the paramilitaries, who work in collusion with the Colombian military, looted and burned down the union hall. A week later the paramilitaries appeared inside the Coca-Cola bottling plant while managers distributed resignation letters for all the union members to sign.

The following is a speech delivered by Phyllis Walker, the President of AFSCME Local 3800, at a Dec. 10 forum organized by Freedom Road Socialist Organization. The program focused on the lessons of the clerical workers’ strike at the University of Minnesota, and featured talks by strike leaders. Many in the audience had participated in strike. The speeches were followed by a wide-ranging discussion on the strike, the state of the labor movement and the need for socialism.

A Colombia Action Network delegation is currently touring in Colombia, hosted by the Oil Workers’ Union and REINICIAR, an important human rights organization that reports to the United Nations. The Colombia Action Network delegation departed from the U.S. in late June. They will hear firsthand about the successful strike by the Oil Workers Union against the national oil company ECOPETROL to stop privatization. The Oil Workers Union (USO) is the most important union in Colombia. Oil is one of the main reasons the Pentagon has 1200 U.S. military advisors and Special Forces fighting in Colombia, and is spending $98 million to guard Occidental Petroleum’s pipeline.

On Tax Day, April 15, activists around the country took part in the Colombia Action Network's third national day of action this year. The April 15 protest brought attention to the human rights crisis that U.S. military aid is creating in Colombia. In Colombia, an average of three trade unionists are murdered each week. The U.S. counter-insurgency program, 'Plan Colombia,' and the new 'Andean Initiative' is arming, training and directing the war in Colombia using U.S. taxpayers' money.

Madison, WI – The Colombia Action Network gathered here March 8 to develop the campaign to boycott Coca-Cola, in defense of Colombian trade unionists. Luis Adolfo Cardona, the Colombian trade unionist who escaped kidnapping, torture and murder by Coca-Cola’s death squads, gave a talk about the grave human rights situation for Colombia’s workers.

Minneapolis, MN – “After striking for 15 days, we came away with a stronger, fighting union and we won some real gains for clerical workers at the University of Minnesota,” said Phyllis Walker, President of AFSCME Local 3800, the clerical workers union at the U of M. Clerical workers at the University of Minnesota went on strike from Oct. 21 to Nov. 4, 2003 against huge health care cuts, a proposed wage freeze and to win key job security provisions. This was the first strike at the University of Minnesota in 60 years.

On Monday, March 15, Coca-Cola union workers in Colombia began a hunger strike in front of the Coke bottling plants in Barrancabermeja, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Medellín and Valledupar. Juan Carlos Galvis, vice-president of the union in Barrancabermeja, has said, “If we lose the fight against Coca-Cola, we will first lose our union, next our jobs and then our lives.” William Mendoza, president of the union in Barrancabermeja, said, “This is the final battle and we're giving it all we've got. We need all supporters of human and labor rights in the U.S. to do the same!”

The campaign to boycott ‘Killer Coke’ is spreading across college campuses and communities around the country. The Coca-Cola boycott was launched July 22 by the Colombian food and beverage workers’ union, SINALTRAINAL, to shine a light on the murders of nine Coca-Cola trade unionists there by company-hired death squads.

Minneapolis, MN – At the beginning of October, clerical workers at the University of Minnesota said no to a wage freeze and skyrocketing health care costs, and voted to go on strike. The clerical workers’ union, AFSCME Local 3800, is leading a fightback to stop the university administrators from balancing the budget on the backs of the lowest paid workers and students.

Madison, WI – “I watched as they put a bullet into his head,” said Luis Adolfo Cardona, a former worker at a Colombian Coca-Cola bottling plant. He was speaking of Isidro Segundo Gil, a lead union negotiator at the plant. “I knew I would be next,” Cardona continued. Later that day, Dec. 5, 1996, Cardona was kidnapped and was likely headed for the same fate as his friend until he escaped.

Los Angeles, CA – Thousands of Latino workers, students and shopkeepers stayed away from work and school Dec. 12, in support of the statewide Latino Economic Strike. The Latino Economic boycott was called by the Mexican American Political Association and Hermandad Mexicana Latino Americana, with the support of hundreds of other organizations, to protest the repeal of SB 60, the law that allowed undocumented immigrants to get drivers licenses.

Phyllis Walker, president of AFSCME Local 3800, delivered the following speech in Detroit Sept. 12 to hundreds of labor activists attending a conference organized by the publication Labor Notes. AFSCME Local 3800 represents nearly 1800 University of Minnesota clerical workers, 93% of whom are women. As we go to press, Local 3800 has announced its intent to strike against a concessionary contract proposal.

Minneapolis, MN – A sharp battle is under way between University of Minnesota workers and a university administration that's pushing an agenda of layoffs, benefit cuts and a wage freeze.

Washington, D.C. — Chants of “No return, no peace!” filled Lafayette Park, Sep16, as over 4500 demonstrators demanded the right of Palestinian refugees to return to the land they were forced from in 1948. As the protesters marched from Freedom Plaza to this park overlooking the White House, organizers marveled at the largest mobilization of Arab demonstrators since the Gulf War.

Los Angeles, CA – On May 1, 15,000 Latino immigrants and their supporters marched through downtown demanding, “Legalization now! Stop immigrant bashing!” This immigrants' rights march was the largest in recent U.S. history. Enthusiastic demonstrators chanted, “We are here and we won't leave!” referring to recent Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) raids and deportations of workers without so-called 'legal' status. The march included union, community groups, and immigrants' rights organizations.

Minneapolis, MN – More than 150 clerical workers at the University of Minnesota protested Governor Tim Pawlenty when he came to campus on Feb. 28. Pawlenty had the nerve to show his face on campus just a week after he proposed to cut the University’s budget by $185 million. He was also pushing a wage freeze for University workers and yet another large tuition increase for students, who have already suffered two years in a row of 13% tuition increases.

The ongoing massacre of Palestinians, by the U.S.-backed Israeli government has sparked demonstrations across the country. Protests have been held in Detroit, Chicago, New York, Minneapolis, and many other cities.

Speech by Phyllis Walker, AFSCME 3800 president

St Paul, MN – An increasing number of local labor unions are speaking out against a possible war with Iraq. The following is a speech given by the president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3800, Phyllis Walker, at an anti-war rally Oct. 26, 2002 at the Minnesota State Capitol. More than 10,500 people attended that rally.

Chicago, IL - More than 3,500 Palestinians and their supporters braved the bitter cold to protest the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak here Nov. 13. Barak, speaking at the national convention of the United Jewish Communities, tried to garner support for his country's military campaign against Palestinian civilians in the illegally occupied territories of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem.

Minneapolis, MN – University of Minnesota workers have won some real victories, and look forward to winning more.