w
2 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, May 3, 2005
Coke Coalition asks
'U' to drop contracts
By Jameel Naqvi
Daily Staff Reporter
The University's Dispute Review Board - created last
year to hear complaints against University vendors and
suppliers - held a public hearing last week on the Coca-
Cola Company's allegedly unethical labor and environ-
mental practices in Colombia and India.
Representatives from the Coke Coalition, a student
group that has pressured the University to drop its contract
with the company, and Coca-Cola addressed the DRB and
an audience of students mostly sympathetic to the coali-
tion in the Michigan Union.
If the board is convinced that Coca-Cola is violating the
Code of Conduct for University Vendors, it could recom-
mend that the University terminate its 12 contracts with
Coca-Cola, which cost the University $1.3 million during
the 2004 fiscal year, University spokeswoman Julie Peter-
son said.
The Coke Coalition's size has grown since its creation
in February, as it now includes Students Organizing for
Labor and Economic Equality, the University chapter
of Amnesty International and, most recently, the United
Asian American Organizations - comprised of more
than 30 Asian Pacific American campus groups - and
the Graduate Employees' Organization.
University Purchasing Services called for a formal
review of Coca-Cola's practices after student groups
voiced their concerns and the Michigan Student
Assembly passed a resolution calling for an inquiry
about the allegations.
"We are primarily concerned with the human rights
violations and the environmental violations Coke is per-
petrating throughout the world," said LSA sophomore
Lindsey Rogers, a member of Amnesty.
Rogers said that Coca-Cola's actions in Colombia vio-
late the vendors' code of conduct. He said Coke curbed
See COKE, Page 3
MIKE HULSEBUS/Daily
Deepti Reddy, LSA Junior and member of the coalition, delivers a speech in front of
a "Coke KILLS" banner to supporters before the group entered the meeting room.
PIRGIM resolution fails at last MSA meeting
By Laura Van Hyfte chief of staff. The injunction enjoined Rese Fox, chair of MSA's External bolic nature. He exclaimed that it was The document titled "10 Reasons to
Daily News Editor MSA from voting on allocating money Relations Committee. ridiculous at the meeting. Vote NO On the Resolution to Fund a
to PIRGIM until MSA had fully exam- "By reserving the money for Stu- "We don't need to give people PIRGIM Pilot Chapter," was a matter of
A resolution proposed to reserve ined the legality of the PIRGIM pro- dents for PIRGIM, MSA would have $20,000 to do work that we can do," some secrecy. Students for PIRGIM were
about $20,000 to fund a University posal. It was upheld by the Central demonstrated acommitment tocreating Wagner said. not given direct access to the document,
chapter of Public Interest Research Student Judiciary. a pilot chapter if CSJ heard an appeal Those for and against PIRGIM have and many had no knowledge of its exis-
Group In Michigan PIRGIM filed and dropped the injunction against the been fairly close in number, and a con- tence until hours before the meeting on
was voted down at "W e don't need to an appeal in Student PIRGIM chapter. This mon- siderable amount of MSA representatives April 19, Fox said.
the final Michigan response to the etary commitment would have allowed were unsure which way they would vote Fox heard about the document the
Student Assembly give people 20,000 CSJ injunction, the Student PIRGs to send a campus before the meeting. day before the meeting from another
meeting on April but CSJ will organizer to help Students for PIRGIM A 34-page document, written by for- representative. She then received a
19. Approximately dollars to do work not hear it until set up a housing hotline in the fall and mer MSA Vice President, Anita Leung, copy the next day.
19 MSA representa- ,, this coming fall, begin work on our textbook campaign," was given to certain MSA members At the MSA office, located at the
tives voted against that we can do. after they have said Fox. to convince them of PIRGIM's short- Union,ReseFoxaskedStuartWagner
the resolution, 13 had time to fully Several MSA representatives comings. See PIRGIM, Page 3
voted for it, and_
five abstained. MS
Students for PIR-
GIM have been ask-
ing MSA to fund a PIRGIM University
chapter since the fall. The chapter would
have several tasks, such as fighting high
textbook prices, protecting tenants, and
attacking environmental concerns.
Students for PIRGIM were disheart-
ened after an injunction was filed by
Elliott Wells-Reid. a former MSA
- Stuart Wagner review the case.
Representative PIRGIM then
sought immediate
action by drafting
a resolution. Roughly $20,000 was
requested to be reserved in the event
that PIRGIM's appeal to the CSJ
decision won.
Students for PIRGIM proposed a
resolution in an effort to reserve fund-
ing that would help establish a hous-
in hotline for students in the fall, said
failed to see how reserving money
for PIRGIM would be practical,
mostly because any resolution that
was passed at the final MSA meet-
ing for the semester would expire by
the end of the meeting. All resolu-
tions passed at the April 19 meeting
regarding PIRGIM would be con-
sidered symbolic, a source said.
Stuart Wagner, an MSA representa-
tive, vehemently voiced his opposition
to the resolution because of its svm-
www.michigandaily.com
TheOMihigantaly (ISN 0745-967) is pulshedMotntay through Fritay turitg the fallawitete m
by stutetsat the vers ty of Michga Onecop s 10savai ablefee ofachatge h all reader sdditinal 4
copies may be picked up at the Daily' s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via
U.S. hai l ath11. aittet termanatry ttough April)lis $tt5,yearlotg (Septemher throhA pril0,111s
$ U5aU eoivrstytttfliat esa resrb ottaatreduedsbsriptn rate.On-campussubsrtioptnsAortallterm
are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The
AssiatedCol egiate Press. ADDRESS: The Mich gan Daily,4t uayta dSt.,ann Athab u ,Michigan 48109-
1327. asPH ON ataMBR:734-70-tAILh. Ehai letters ha the edtotoatoathtedailyycianailyycom
hi .i~itiiiiLIl~lt~l~tt~tt~tLLI~~ttILIt~tILILt~tLLI~~t~tt::::L::EDITORIAL '
;x
Tank y
You are our BE
customers, toc
HANN
02
BEST
C U I S I N E
4896 Washtenaw @ Golfside.
Resv: (734) 528-5588
Ii
EST
NEWS
104
JOBS!!!
Spring/Summer Term
Apply now at the Law Library-
non-Law students
" Law Students
- S.I Students
Minimum pay is
$8.50 per hour!
Apply at the hiring table outside
room S-180 in the Law Library's
underground addition.
AA/N.E
NEWS
EDITORS: Justin Miller, Laura Van Hyfte
STAFF: Amber Colvin, Julia Heming. Genevieve Lampinen. Jarr
OPINION
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Emily Beam
STAFF: Whitney Dibo, Jesse Forester Bryan Kely, Brian Sade,I
COLUMNISTS: Mara Gay, Alexandra M. Jones, Jesse Singal,
SPORTS
SENIOR EDITORS: James V, Dowd
NIGHT EDITOR: H. Jose Bosch
STAFF: Dan Levy, Ian Robinson, Pete Sneider, Lindsey Ungar, K
ARTS
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Jeffrey Bloomer
STAFF: Cyril Cordor Samantha Force, Abby Frackman, Andrew M. Ge
PHOTO
STAFF: Forest Casey Alexander Dziadosz, Tommaso Gomez, AI
GRAPHIC DESIGN STAFF: Matthew Daniels, Gervis Menzies, Lii
ONLINE
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Angela Cesere
STAFF: Jessica Cox, Bethany Dykstra. Ken Srdjak, Chelsea Trul
Jeremy Davidson, Managing Editor
Ira Williams
Donn M. Fresard, Editor
Matt Venegoni, Managing Editor
Evan McGarvey, Managing Editor
ig Alexandra M. Jones, Punit Mattoo. Gabriel Rivin
Trevor Campbell, Managing Editor
Robertson. Peter Schottenfels, David Tuman
Eston Bond, Managing Editor
4
BUSINESS STAFF Breeshna Javed, Business Manager
DISPLAY SALES
STAFF: Katie Biker. Adam Gross, Komna Par
CLASSIFIED SALES
PRODUCTION
SPECIAL PAGE
4
Emily Cipriano, Manager
re
Ryan Van Tassel, Manager
Phyllis Wong, Manager
Jessica Sachs, Manager
1I