Oh Brooke, even though this is ot that big of a deal.. it really is. So let me reply to that. 1) I am doing it. The decision was already made. 2) Of course bunch of companies mistreat workers, and yes especially when the companies get as large as coke is, it is really easy to do so. I realize it's prob'ly really hard to effect a company as large as coke, but it's really a movement and a couple of kids here wanted to make MSU one of the 20 or so universities to stand for worker's rights. As for the local companies, it's not like we are just literally going off pop. We are currently considering Faygo (which I don't really want, but it is local and people like that), or pepsi.. in which case I think it'll be about the same. I just think it's horrible for coke to go overseas to a country that doesn't have a legitimate government that protects the people (as much as united states anyway) and kill off anyone who tries to unionize the workers or threaten their family for it. It all seems.. ridiculous. I understand where you are coming from with this really just hurting the local branches of coke, but I think the whole point of the coke movement is to just even.. bring the idea to the table for Coke to reconsider. I don't know if I sound foolish, but I would have to say it's working.. with the media attention and all. Plus this is more reasonable than people trying to be active about like.. Sudan or something like that.. which seems to be something also popular these days. This whole thing really just isn't about students wanting to be "active in something" seeing as how numerous groups like United Workers Association and International Labor Rights is in on it too. And.. (god this is a long response) what we REALLY want to incorporate into MSU's system is a code of conduct for the future. UofM and NYU both had code of conducts for anyone they sign with.. MSU doesn't so.. we prob'ly won't even get rid of coke til the end of the current contract, because we can't just drop contracts for moral reasons like UofM did.
ps - I think mistreat is kind of a dismissing word for what they are doing. Stat wise they are being held to 179 human rights violations. Including 9 murders (to knowledge), distributing toxic sludge as fertilizer, selling contaminated drinks.
even though this is ot that big of a deal.. it really is. So let me reply to that.
1) I am doing it. The decision was already made.
2) Of course bunch of companies mistreat workers, and yes especially when the companies get as large as coke is, it is really easy to do so.
I realize it's prob'ly really hard to effect a company as large as coke, but it's really a movement and a couple of kids here wanted to make MSU one of the 20 or so universities to stand for worker's rights.
As for the local companies, it's not like we are just literally going off pop. We are currently considering Faygo (which I don't really want, but it is local and people like that), or pepsi.. in which case I think it'll be about the same.
I just think it's horrible for coke to go overseas to a country that doesn't have a legitimate government that protects the people (as much as united states anyway) and kill off anyone who tries to unionize the workers or threaten their family for it. It all seems.. ridiculous.
I understand where you are coming from with this really just hurting the local branches of coke, but I think the whole point of the coke movement is to just even.. bring the idea to the table for Coke to reconsider. I don't know if I sound foolish, but I would have to say it's working.. with the media attention and all.
Plus this is more reasonable than people trying to be active about like.. Sudan or something like that.. which seems to be something also popular these days.
This whole thing really just isn't about students wanting to be "active in something" seeing as how numerous groups like United Workers Association and International Labor Rights is in on it too.
And.. (god this is a long response)
what we REALLY want to incorporate into MSU's system is a code of conduct for the future. UofM and NYU both had code of conducts for anyone they sign with.. MSU doesn't so.. we prob'ly won't even get rid of coke til the end of the current contract, because we can't just drop contracts for moral reasons like UofM did.
ps - I think mistreat is kind of a dismissing word for what they are doing. Stat wise they are being held to 179 human rights violations. Including 9 murders (to knowledge), distributing toxic sludge as fertilizer, selling contaminated drinks.
whew.
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