As director of global labor relations at the Coca-Cola Company, I share student interest in advancing human rights, labor rights and environmental responsibility around the world.
I’d like to give you another perspective to consider in response to the Feb. 28 Daily Bruin story by Mussarat Bata and the opinion piece by Aliya Hussaini (“Coalition campaigns against Coca-Cola”; “Coke’s practices have no place on campus”).
The success of our business depends on the success and contentment of our employees. Coca-Cola is committed to treating our employees fairly and providing them with safe and healthy work environments.
In Colombia and around the world, we respect workers’ rights to unionize, and we do not tolerate intimidation of union members.
Two different judicial inquiries in Colombia found no evidence to support the allegations mentioned in your paper.
Additionally, a recent assessment of our operations by a respected global corporate social accountability auditor found no violations and uncovered no allegations with respect to human rights abuses at any of our plants.
To further demonstrate our commitment, we are working with international labor and nongovernmental organizations, as well as our most vocal critics, to develop another credible, impartial and independent third-party assessment of our operations in Colombia.
In India, the Coca-Cola Company is partnering with the Indian Central Ground Water Authority, local governments and communities to combat water scarcity by expanding the use of rainwater harvesting technology. The company has installed nearly 200 rainwater-harvesting structures across 17 states throughout India and is planning for 40 new such projects this year.
Through rainwater harvesting, the water from heavy downpours during the rainy seasons can be captured and returned to the aquifer.
Coca-Cola India has received a prestigious environmental award for the third consecutive year for its efforts with rainwater harvesting.
All the water used to manufacture our beverages conforms to the highest international drinking water standards. We test for traces of pesticide residues in water to the level of parts per billion. All this is to ensure that a bottle of Coke tastes the same in India as it does in Colombia or Southern California.
We respect the need for campus scrutiny of the products and services that are provided to the UCLA community. We hope that you consider all sides of these issues and that any decisions made at UCLA are based on being fully informed of the facts involved.
Potter is the director of global labor relations for the Coca-Cola Company.