As
strong supporters of teachers and teachers' unions, we are distressed
that the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is partnering with
Coca-Cola.
Four months ago, AFT members caused
their union to begin a boycott of Coca-Cola over its reliance on child
labor. But now
the union leadership has caved.
With terms of the agreement
undisclosed, AFT ended the boycott -- and has begun a partnership to do
things like "advocating for increased educational opportunities for
children."
Talk about a severe sugar headache!
Labor activist Ray Rogers, director
of Corporate Campaign Inc., says: "The most effective way for Coca-Cola
to help end illegal child labor in places like the Philippines and El
Salvador is not through pointless additional studies, audits and
meaningless rhetoric, but to pay sugar processors enough money to pay
fair wages to sugar cane harvesters."
Click here to ask the AFT to end its partnership with Coca-Cola.
The Coca-Cola company is responsible in part for the
epidemics of obesity and type-2 diabetes that afflict children in the United States and elsewhere.
According to the executive director
of U.S. Right to Know, Gary Ruskin, the AFT's agreement "will undermine
the moral authority of teachers nationwide. That is a regrettable
outcome for teachers, schools, and especially our children, who deserve
so much better from their teachers."
Please click here to help undo this bad decision by AFT.
After signing the petition,
please forward this message to your friends. You can also share it from the webpage after taking the action yourself.
-- The RootsAction.org Team
P.S. RootsAction is an independent
online force endorsed by Jim Hightower, Barbara Ehrenreich, Cornel West,
Daniel Ellsberg, Glenn Greenwald, Naomi Klein, Bill Fletcher Jr., Laura
Flanders, former U.S. Senator James Abourezk, Coleen Rowley, Frances
Fox Piven, Lila Garrett, Phil Donahue, Sonali Kolhatkar, and many
others.
P.P.S. This work is only possible with your financial support.
Please donate.
Background:
>
Institute for Public Accuracy: AFT Teams with Coke
>
AFT: Ending the Coca-Cola Boycott
>
AFT: AFT and Coke Pledge to Work Together Against Child Labor
>
CNN: Life Not Sweet for Philippines' Sugar Cane Child Workers
>
Corporate Crime Reporter: AFT Ends Four Month Old Coca-Cola Boycott
