Open Letter to Chancellor Herman: No More Coca-Cola.

Dear Chancellor Richard Herman,

We write to you with serious concerns over the exclusive beverage contract between University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Coca-Cola Company. In recent years, a number of universities have played a key role in improving working conditions in factories around the world that assemble/produce the merchandise for universities. University of Illinois, however, continues to do business with Coca-Cola despite the company's outrageous record of human and labor rights violations, and environmental degradation. Coca-Cola's abuses in Colombia, India, Turkey, Indonesia and Guatemala are of direct concern to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in lieu of its exclusive contract with Coca-Cola, athletic sponsorships, and U of I Foundation ownership of Coca-Cola stock.
Coalition Against Coke Contracts (CACC) is a broad coalition of students, faculty, staff and community members in Urbana-Champaign. We form a significant consumer base, and are very disturbed by the university's inaction over Coca-Cola's malpractices. In the past year, we have attempted to bring our concerns to the attention of Licensing Advisory Committee.

We hold that an association with Coca-Cola is tantamount to complicity in its malpractices, and it would go against the very principles that institutions of higher learning are expected to uphold. We therefore urge the university NOT to renew the contract with Coca-Cola. We urge you to make the decision of non-renewal as soon as
possible.

Sincerely,
Coalition Against Coke Contracts (CACC)