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Will the Green Party of Santa Clara County endorse the letter from
Fred Hirsch asking Coca Cola to negotiate fairly with workers and
unions in Colombia and stop attacking union leaders? For details,
see below. <br>
<br>
<br>
Spencer <br>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Subject:
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<td>SJPJC-Board Fw: "WE FEAR FOR OUR LIVES..." Urgent Letter
needed for Coca Cola workers in Colombia</td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Date: </th>
<td>Thu, 27 Mar 2014 17:30:47 -0700 (PDT)</td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">From: </th>
<td>Shelby Minister <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:shelby.minister@yahoo.com"><shelby.minister@yahoo.com></a></td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Reply-To:
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<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:sjpjcboard@googlegroups.com">sjpjcboard@googlegroups.com</a></td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">To: </th>
<td>SJPJC Partners
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:sjpjc-community-partner-email-list@googlegroups.com"><sjpjc-community-partner-email-list@googlegroups.com></a>,
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:sjpjcboard@googlegroups.com">"sjpjcboard@googlegroups.com"</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:sjpjcboard@googlegroups.com"><sjpjcboard@googlegroups.com></a>, San Jose Community
Members <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:sanjosepeacecenter@lists.riseup.net"><sanjosepeacecenter@lists.riseup.net></a></td>
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<div><span>Dear Community Partners and Friends,</span></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 18.6667px;
font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color:
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<span></span></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 18.6667px;
font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color:
transparent; font-style: normal;"><span>SJPJC has recently
signed onto this letter from Fred Hirsch pleading Coca Cola
to negotiate fairly with its workers and unions in Colombia
and to stop the attacks against union leaders. Please see
his letter below. I urge your organizations to sign on as
well.</span></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 18.6667px;
font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color:
transparent; font-style: normal;"><br>
<span></span></div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 18.6667px;
font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color:
transparent; font-style: normal;"><span>Sincerely,<br>
</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div><b>Shelby Minister<br>
Coordinator<br>
San Jose Peace and Justice Center<br>
48 S. 7th Street, San Jose</b></div>
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<blockquote><font face="Verdana, Helvetica,
Arial"><font size="2"><span
style="font-size:18.0px;"><b><i>
</i></b></span></font><span
style="font-size:24.0px;">----------------------------------------------------<br
clear="none">
</span><font color="#321312"><span
style="font-size:20.0px;"><b>Brothers,
Sisters and Friends,<br clear="none">
<br clear="none">
We’ve received an urgent message
from William Mendoza and Juan Carlos
Galvis in Barranquilla, northern
Colombia. They are leaders in
Sinaltrainal (National Union of Food
Industry Workers), representing
workers in Coca Cola bottling
plants. Their message says, “We fear
for the lives of our union leaders.
Please send protest letters to Coca
Cola. The company is making war
against us.” Their words are
anything but just a figure of
speech. <br clear="none">
<br clear="none">
Their fears are palpable.
Sinaltrainal at Coca Cola has
endured a history as terror victims
that includes the assassination of
eleven leaders and activists. I met
William Mendoza in Barrancabermeja
in 2002 when my union, Plumbers and
Fitters Local 393, in San Jose, CA,
sent me on a labor delegation to
Colombia. Not long ago William’s
young daughter was grabbed into a
car in broad daylight. The abductors
were thwarted by his wife, who ran
screaming into the street. She
stopped all traffic and managed to
free the traumatized four year old
from the kidnap vehicle.<br
clear="none">
<br clear="none">
A few years ago masked
paramilitaries invaded Juan Carlos
Galvis’ home demanding to know his
whereabouts. They tied up his wife,
sprayed her with red paint and
threatened to kill their little
girl. The thugs were frustrated and
fled.<br clear="none">
<br clear="none">
Both men have had to move their
families to other cities. William
says, “We have no choice but to
struggle. We must protect our
families and children, but struggle
is our brother”<br clear="none">
<br clear="none">
With the company refusing to bargain
in good faith and demanding to
impose an unfair contract, the
workers mounted protests at bottling
plants in various cities. They were
attacked by the police in
Barranquilla. A worker with access
to a management office found photos
of Sinaltrainal leaders in a copy
machine. William says, “We are
very concerned about the intended
use of these photos. We fear for our
lives and safety.”<br clear="none">
<br clear="none">
In 2001 and 2006 lawsuits were filed
in the U.S. </b></span></font><span
style="font-size:20.0px;"><b><font
color="#311211">on behalf of
Sinaltrainal</font><font
color="#321312"> by the United
Steelworkers of America and the
International Labor Rights Fund. The
lawsuits charged that Coca Cola
bottlers in Colombia “contracted
with or otherwise directed
paramilitary security forces that
utilized extreme violence and
murdered, tortured and unlawfully
detained or otherwise silenced trade
union leaders.”<br clear="none">
<br clear="none">
Labor disputes and collective
bargaining for Sinaltrainal have
never been smooth. Their process of
serving the needs of the workers has
always been under the gun. Today it
seems to be a matter of life and
death again. Juan Carlos Galvis
once told the workers,</font></b><font
color="#321312"> </font><b>"If we
lose this fight against Coke, first we
will lose our union, next we will lose
our jobs, and then we will lose our
lives.”<br clear="none">
<br clear="none">
We can act to prevent that outcome. We
can help alleviate the danger by
taking the time to do what they ask of
us – send letters to Coca Cola
demanding that the company protect the
lives of Sinaltrainal members,
activists and leaders. Urge the
company to bargain in good faith for
an orderly and peaceful resolution of
the labor dispute. Demand an end to
union busting violence, no more
intimidation, no more threats – no
more death! There is no moral, ethical
or human reason to allow the Coca Cola
Company to continue to be enriched by
the lifeblood of the workers.<br
clear="none">
<br
clear="none">
</b><font color="#FF0000">(There
is a wealth of additional information
available at <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
rel="nofollow" shape="rect"
target="_blank"
href="http://killercoke.org%29/">http://killercoke.org)</a>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
rel="nofollow" shape="rect"
target="_blank"
href="http://killercoke.org%29/"><http://killercoke.org%29/></a>
</font></span></font>
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<div class="yiv2897538222yqt5162865648"
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Please send letters and/or make phone
calls to one or all three of these
company officials. Here is a sample
letter, but do better, write your own.
If you will send only one letter,
please send it to Gary Fayard, as
Director of Coca Cola FEMSA he has the
most direct responsibility for their
bottlers in Colombia. Your individual
letter is powerful, but if you can get
your union or other organization to sign
on, that would be all the more powerful.<br
clear="none">
<br clear="none">
In solidarity,<br clear="none">
Fred Hirsch </b></div>
<div class="yiv2897538222yqt5162865648"
id="yiv2897538222yqtfd01756"><font
size="2"><span style="font-size:16.0px;">(Please
forward this request to your lists,
contacts and friends)<br clear="none">
</span></font><span
style="font-size:20.0px;"><b>------------------------------------------------<br
clear="none">
<br clear="none">
<i>Dear Coca Cola Executive</i></b></span><b><i><span
style="font-size:24.0px;">,<br
clear="none">
</span><font color="#321312"><span
style="font-size:20.0px;"><br
clear="none">
</span><span
style="font-size:21.0px;">I have
heard from the leaders of the
National Union of Food Industry
Workers (Sinaltrainal) in
Colombia. I am writing to you to
demand that the Coca Cola Company
take action to bargain with them
in good faith and reach a fair and
adequate labor agreement. <br
clear="none">
It has been charged in open
court that Coca Cola has </span></font><span
style="font-size:21.0px;"><font
color="#311211">contracted with or
otherwise directed paramilitary
security forces that utilized
extreme violence and murdered,
tortured and unlawfully detained
or otherwise silenced trade union
leaders. We also have learned
that the company has dodged any
objective investigation of such
charges. <br clear="none">
Coca Cola’s union busting
intimidation continues to this day
in Colombia. Such uncivilized
corporate behavior must stop.
There is no justice in imposing an
unfair contract. The company must
sit down and negotiate a fair
contract with Sinaltrainal workers
so they and their families can
work and live in peace. Until that
happens, I will spread the word to
my friends, my union, my church
and my community to boycott the
products of the Coca Cola company.
It is up to you to allow justice
to prevail.<br clear="none">
<br clear="none">
Sincerely,<br clear="none">
</font></span></i><span
style="font-size:21.0px;"><font
color="#311211"><br clear="none">
_______________________________________________________________________<br
clear="none">
</font></span></b><span
style="font-size:21.0px;">Muhtar Kent<br
clear="none">
Chairman & CEO<br clear="none">
The Coca-Cola Company<br clear="none">
P.O. Box 1734<br clear="none">
Atlanta, GA 30301-1734<br clear="none">
Telephone 404-676-2121 <br clear="none">
<br clear="none">
Gary Fayard<br clear="none">
Chief Financial Officer & Executive
VP<br clear="none">
The Coca-Cola Company<br clear="none">
Director, Coca-Cola FEMSA<br
clear="none">
P.O. Box 1734<br clear="none">
Atlanta, GA 30301-1734<br clear="none">
Telephone 404-676-2121 <br clear="none">
<br clear="none">
Ed Potter<br clear="none">
Director<br clear="none">
Global Workplace Rights <br
clear="none">
The Coca-Cola Company<br clear="none">
P.O. Box 1734<br clear="none">
Atlanta, GA 30301-1734<br clear="none">
404-676-2379 <br clear="none">
email: <font color="#0000FF"><u><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:epotter@na.ko.com">epotter@na.ko.com</a><br
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</u></font></span><span
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