Dear Mr. Daft:

We, the undersigned national and local student leaders from campuses across the country, are concerned about the violence and human rights violations committed against Coca Cola workers around the world. We believe that Coca Cola has a responsibility to ensure that the rights and safety of all workers who produce, bottle and distribute Coca Cola products are protected.

Recent news of the kidnapping, torture and murder of union workers at Coca Cola bottling facilities in Colombia reminds us of Coke’s history in Guatemala where union workers at a bottling facility there were assassinated in the 1970’s and 80’s. Again union workers in Guatemala are facing problems with Coke’s bottler while U.S. workers who produce Coca Cola’s Minute Maid juices in Florida are subjected to extreme acts of intimidation and harassment. In fact, reports from Coca Cola workers around the world suggest a pattern of human rights abuses that demand immediate attention.

As students, we make up a significant consumer base for Coca-Cola products. Coca-Cola is a fixture at many of our schools and we are alarmed by these reports. As representatives of student organizations pledged to activism in the name of social justice we will be informing our fellow students about what is going on at Coca-Cola.

Coca Cola has an opportunity now to be a true global leader. It’s time for Coke to do the right thing. We demand that Coke take immediate action to address the violence that has devastated Coca-Cola bottling plant workers in Colombia and negotiate an enforceable global agreement that will protect the rights and safety of workers who produce, package and distribute its products with Coke unions and worker representatives.

Sincerely,