At its March 10 meeting, the Associated Students UCLA Board of
Directors met with Coke Free Campus, the student coalition seeking
the removal of Coca-Cola products from campus, to hear the
group’s complaints regarding Coca-Cola’s alleged
mistreatment of workers in Columbia.
The presentation, led by Megan Markoff, a second-year political
science student, and Alexis Montes, a fourth-year history and
political science student, outlined the coalition’s evidence
for believing that Coca-Cola has engaged in inhumane practices
against its workers at its Colombian bottling plants.
“Many Coca-Cola workers have been tortured, murdered,
detained, and kidnapped without investigation or defense by their
employer,” Montes said.
Coca-Cola has denied these allegations on several occasions,
saying the murders have been investigated by both the Colombian
courts and the attorney general.
The company said both found no evidence of any Coca-Cola
involvement in the crimes.
In order to make a complete and informed decision, ASUCLA will
meet with Coca-Cola at its next board meeting, during which the
company will present its side of the argument, said Bob Williams,
executive director of ASUCLA.
Following the presentation, the board engaged in discussion with
the student coalition, voicing questions and concerns.
Williams asked for clarification of the coalition’s
ultimate goal, inquiring at what point Coca-Cola would produce
enough satisfactory change for the student group.
Montes responded, saying Coca-Cola should “incorporate
humane practices into its treatment of workers and change its
policies in Columbia,” in regards to alleged mistreatment of
workers.
One of the concerns expressed by ASUCLA board members involved
the overall impact on students and various other ASUCLA services of
eliminating Coca-Cola products.
Craig Kaplan, the alumni representative on the ASUCLA Board of
Directors, asked if a Pepsi contract would be a satisfactory
alternative to renewing the Coca-Cola contract, which Montes said
would be acceptable.
This point led to a discussion on ASUCLA’s social
responsibility in a world context, as well as in the local sphere
of the UCLA community.
Markoff said after ASUCLA demonstrated support of the removal of
apartheid, they set the standard for ASUCLA to be socially
responsible. Students voiced concerns over ASUCLA’s
involvement with companies associated with the South African
government in the late 1980s.
But ASUCLA must also be aware of the repercussions of
eliminating Coca-Cola for other ASUCLA services, as well as for the
larger student population, graduate representative and board chair
Hoi Ning Ngai said.
At the meeting, the board also discussed other ongoing topics
for ASUCLA, including Student Media’s financial status and
the current status of the Cooperage remodeling project.
Williams expressed support of the Communication Board’s
decision to forgo the fee referendum, which would raise student
fees to help aid the financial situation of Student Media.
At the Communications Board meeting on Feb. 27, Arvli Ward, the
Student Media director, presented a plan to significantly reduce
costs, change the online media, and add services to help alleviate
the financial crisis.
Williams said the Communication Board’s next steps would
be to meet with ASUCLA management and the various other ASUCLA
entities.
Williams also addressed the development of the Cooperage
remodeling project, reporting that the board has received the
preliminary design sketches but will be revising them at another
meeting March 14.
Renovations have also begun on the Jamba Juice space, formerly
the location for the XCape arcade. Framing walls, facades and false
columns have already begun to go in, Williams said.
The plans for the Healthy Foods bar are currently available for
bids and ASUCLA is waiting for the bidders’ responses soon,
Williams said.