ENDING THE COCA-COLA BOYCOTT

WHEREAS, in October 2014, the AFT executive council adopted a resolution referred by delegates to the 2014 convention, entitled “Stop Coca-Cola’s Abuse of Children and Violation of Human Rights,” which called for a boycott of Coca-Cola products based upon a litany of violations of workers’ rights and child labor laws on the part of the company that were detailed in the resolution; and

WHEREAS, the passage of this resolution drew an immediate reaction from the Coca-Cola Company, whose national leadership sought an opportunity to provide the American Federation of Teachers with information on actions taken in recent years to address these concerns; and

WHEREAS, this was not the first time the AFT and Coca -Cola had this type of dialogue or addressed these concerns: In August 2007, then- AFT President Edward J. McElroy asked then-Vice President Randi Weingarten to address concerns of child labor that our members had raised, and we reached an informal agreement to continue to work with the Coca-Cola Company in its efforts to strengthen the company’s  global commitment to human rights—both in the workplace and among its partners and supply chains; and

WHEREAS, based upon the multiple conversations and meetings since passage of the October 2014 policy, it’s clear the Coca-Cola Company has taken significant steps—many of which predate our boycott resolution—including working with global and local unions and other stakeholders to address workers’ rights and child labor issues; and

WHEREAS, the purpose of the original resolution was to seek the positive change for workers and for children that Coca-Cola appears committed to pursue; and

WHEREAS, Coca-Cola has agreed to work with the AFT on an ongoing basis to advance this work:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers will collaborate with the Coca-Cola Company in areas where we have a strong mutual interest, such as the elimination of hazardous child labor and advocating for increased educational opportunities for children as the best way to eliminate the poverty that is the root cause of child labor; and

RESOLVED, that based on the totality of the work Coca-Cola has done, and the commitment to work together on child labor and other issues, the AFT will end the boycott of Coca-Cola products and will share that information with our members.