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. 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