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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 5, 2014)
AFT bans Coke ...UFCW Local 555 rejoins AFL-CIO American Federation of Teachers (AFT) on Oct. 15 became the latest union to ban Coke products. The AFT Executive Council passed a resolution, held over from its convention in July, which declares that Coca-Cola Com- pany is complicit in violence against union leaders in Latin America, partic- ularly Colombia and Guatemala. The resolution also holds the company re- sponsible for purchasing sugar pro- duced with child labor in El Salvador. Since the “Campaign to Stop Killer Coke” began in 2004, several dozen union locals and state and central labor councils have passed resolutions. AFT is the fifth international union to do so, following American Postal Workers Union, Communications Workers of America, International Longshore and Warehouse Union, and Service Em- ployees International Union. AFT’s resolution says it will refrain from serving or selling Coca-Cola products at its offices or at any venue for events or meetings, recommend the same to all affiliates, and encourage them to participate in campaigns to re- move Coke products from schools, col- leges, hospitals and other workplaces. In the United States, Coke bottling and distribution employees are mostly represented by the Brewery and Soft Drink Workers Conference of the Teamsters. The union has not taken a position on the Killer Coke campaign. For its part, the Coca-Cola Com- pany denies the allegations. In 2001, the Colombian union Sinaltrainal filed suit in U.S. District Court against Coca-Cola and two Colombian bot- tlers, alleging involvement by the bot- tlers in the murders of three union workers by right-wing paramilitaries. The judge dropped Coca-Cola as a de- fendant in 2003, and dismissed the case against the two bottlers in 2006. The dismissals were upheld by an appeals court in 2009. (From Page 1) At the Dec. 1 quarterly meeting of the Oregon AFL-CIO Executive Board, Local 555 President Dan Clay and Sec- retary-Treasurer Jeff Anderson were sworn in as members, and were re- ceived with a spirit of “welcome back” by other Board members. “In Oregon, labor has always oper- ated as one movement even after the split, but when large unions like this structurally show that unity, that’s re- ally important for working people,” said Oregon AFL-CIO spokesperson Elana Guiney. “This comes at a time when working people, union and nonunion, are tying to increase solidar- ity and show our strength and unity.” National AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler (right) joins striking Klamath Falls Walmart employee Jennifer Sanchez at a Black Friday rally outside a Walmart store in Southeast Portland. The demonstration, which drew more than 100 people, was one of 1,600 held throughout the country Nov. 28 to protest Walmart’s retaliatory discipline against workers who speak out for better wages and more consistent full-time work schedules. ...Walmart employees strike (From Page 1) unfair labor practices. Sanchez said no one at her store has been fired for strike activity, so her de- cision to strike was primarily in support of workers elsewhere. “They’ve been retaliating across the country when we speak up about low wages,” Sanchez said. Sanchez and Nuñez have been Wal- mart stockers for 11 years. They work full time and make $14.88 an hour. They have health insurance through Walmart, but the $5,000 deductible makes it unaffordable to use. The Klamath Falls workers ended their strike Saturday and went back to work without incident. Apprenticeship Opening Glaziers The Oregon & SW Washington Glaziers Joint Apprenticeship & Journeyman Training Program will be open to accept applications to create a pool of eligible applicants. Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Must apply in person and furnish a copy of a high school diploma and grade transcript or GED and test scores at time of application. Applications will be taken Jan. 5 thru Jan. 16, 2015 Monday thru Friday, 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Glaziers Training Center Mt. Hood Community College, Room GE 108 26000 SE Stark St., Gresham, OR Women and minorities encouraged to apply PAGE 6 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS DECEMBER 5, 2014
