Boycott Coke

[golfish]

This is kind of hard for me to ask but things are getting really bad. I'd appreciate it all my friends and their families would boycott all Coca-Cola products including Coca-Cola, Dasani water, Dr. Pepper and Sprite.

We're not asking for much, just for them to pay our health care benefits like they have in the past.

Oh yeah, in case you didn't know. I'm a Teamster and we're striking against Coca Cola.

[GinaSofia]

Will you let us know when the strike is over,please?

[olemos]

don't mind me asking, but why are you going on a strike?

[masson]

just for them to pay our health care benefits like they have in the past

[capt. insano]

are they just asking you to start paying for a portion of the healthcare? And what other benefits?

[cb747]

You got it! From one Teamster (Local 808) to another.
Chris

[thirst]

How will boycotting their products help your situation? Wouldn't a boycott cut into their sales, profit, and reduce benefits even further for those that are employed by them? Or they might even just downsize plants where costs are too high?

[king kong]

I pay $1,000 a month for my family's health care(3) I am self employed..stop your *****in! cost are a factor for these companys so get over it!

[AquariaOCD]

NO.

[thirst]

kong, you are self employed.. so i think it's a little unfair to compare.

But to strike and ask the public to boycott because your company is asking you to pay a premium for the coverage is a bit much. Many employed workers pay a premium. Perhaps like the guy who paid 100 dollars for some polyps and now 4 months later found some for 12 dollars, realize that things change. Healthcare cost in the US is soaring... perhaps you should take it up to the govt.

[MonkeeFish]

king kong why u gotta be so harsh? If you had nothing that would support the guy why say something to put him down? Anyway ill stop drinking coke and ill go orange soda now.

[cb747]

Im pretty surprized at some of the posts here. In large companys its always the workers that end up giving up benefits that they have. Ill bet you any amount of money that the higher ups in the company are getting fat raises and more and more benefits. Golfish asked us for some support in his and his coworkers cause. If you dont have anything good to say then just pass over this thread and refrain from posting.
Chris

[NicoleC]

When Coca-Cola CEO Douglas Ivester retired in 2000 after a 2 years stint, he got a $120 million dollar golden parachute as thanks for his lackluster track record. $120,000,000 just for a *leaving.*

Chairman and CEO Douglas Daft earned $5.5 million in 2002 and was issued anoter $164 million in stock. Daft was given "only" $36 million when he left -- despite doing much better for the company than Ivester.

Chairman and CEO E. Neville Isdell earned $17.5 million in 2004. All of the executives have fully funded lavish healthcare plans.

The striking workers average $31,000 - $41,000 per year. We're supposed to believe that poor Coca-Cola can afford to give away $120 million dollar bonuses to executives that LOSE the company money, but can't afford healthcare for the people that work hard every day to make the profits to pay the execs?

It wasn't that long ago that people said workers were being selfish for asking for shorter workdays than 16 hours and even getting Sunday morning off to go to church. It was going to WRECK the companies to not allow 8 year olds to work 16 hours days on dangerous machines!

In the 21st century, benefits and pay for your average worker are in full reverse while executive salaries continue to spiral upward. If the inflated salaries were tied to performance, it might be understandable, but they aren't. Crappy execs make millions yet whine about the possibility of raising the minimum wage.

I'm not a soda drinker, but I'll remember to steer clear of Dasani.

In truth, I don't think strikes like this will work very often anymore. Worker revolt is powerful in some cases, but it's time for shareholder revolt!

[jay2525]

wow. tough room....no more coke, products, no prob. I don't know if it'll help the cause but it won't hurt for a while....

[smoknreefrs]

Well, just so you know my fellow Labor Union friend, the IBEW has been striking Coke for quite some time....oh yeah you can thank the republicans for giving corporations so much power...but i am not going any farther about this....you know what they say, you cant change someones politics, music, or religion....

[FiShTaCo]

REEF Central!!!

[capt. insano]

THE LOUNGE!!

[thirst]

You bring up some very good points Nicole. Shareholder revolt, and these so called lackluster results might be what drives these cost cutting measure to begin with. Operating margins at KO has fallen from 30.5% in 2001 to 25.9% in 2004.

Althoug the payments to the executives are staggering when compared to the peons of these large corporations, they are on very much competitive to the market. It's unfortunate that the hard working people are subjected to these games, but hey, we all have a choice, we can simply leave.

Google will give u free lunch, free healthcare, onsite doctors, onsite gym, heck they even give u paternity leave! so I say, quit and find a new job.... A strike and a boycott will probably bring very little results.

[Obi-dad]

Going to have to pay some of your medical costs? Welcome to the real world. Most of the people in the United States of America pay some of their healthcare costs. And most typically pay way more than union members.

[bdebelius]

Sorry, but you have NO RIGHT to health care. If you do not like the benefits a company has then FIND ANOTHER JOB, or DO NOT WORK THERE in the first place. Life IS NOT fair, I don't care what your momma told you. Stop your bit****. If you don't like Coke's benefits, then start you own Soda-pop company, and buy it yourself.

brian-libertarian

[tigerarmy40]

greg I here because I pay a portion of mine, but I am a manager for one of the largest companies in the us and I see it on a day to day basis. bi monthly benefits go up but upper management is sent on trips to the bahamas because we need tax write-offs. this is the kind of tuff I dont agree with. Or the fact that in one year the ceo of this company has earned 1.3 billion( not a typo) dollars. but my yearly incentive is being cut in half so we can be more competitive!?

[Freed]

I'm just glad that the company I work for pays most of the monthly health care premium which allows me to only pay a minor fraction of the total premium every month. Company cost per month=$200+ My cost per month=$90 Now let me see, do I pay the very small premium and enjoy that benefit or do I pay the very small premium and B!TCH about not paying more? HHHHMMMMM. And then strike and not earn any money + no overtime to pay my bills? Let me seeee. Well that's a no brainer, I'm gonna go drink a nice cold Dr. Pepper.

[king kong]

Originally posted by bdebelius
Sorry, but you have NO RIGHT to health care. If you do not like the benefits a company has then FIND ANOTHER JOB, or DO NOT WORK THERE in the first place. Life IS NOT fair, I don't care what your momma told you. Stop your bit****. If you don't like Coke's benefits, then start you own Soda-pop company, and buy it yourself.

brian-libertarian

I could not have said it any better!!!!!! ban coke..give me a break! you work for them WOW bet they are glad you do! as far as my post before..well it makes me angry to hear people complain about something they dont have any right to complain about! we had a strike here in minnesota for buses(state MTC) over health issues, government workers not wanting to pay for health coverage..WHATEVER!!! what world do you people live in?? I will not post again but i think you should be happy to be employed by such a great company!

[tigerarmy40]

If it is something you start with it should not be taken away. It is no different to say "you need to pay for this now" then it is to say we are cutting your pay by an extra 50 bucks a pay check. and for some peeps that 50 bucks is big!! dont get me wrong I pay mine but if they told me I will be paying double starting next week I damn sure would have a problem

[Freed]

So then you would quit and take a lower paying job IF you could even find another job right away to pay your bills with, right?

[F35-Joint Strike Fighter]

if you don't want to pay any penny for your healthcare, the best way is .... join in Military......

No offense but I think right now the U.S. labor market has to deal with oversea labor, so they try to cut down as much as they can, and the best way is.... cut down the benefits, one of those is healthcare. I have the same issue as Nicole C. that why don't they cut the big bosses' bonuses. That sucks...... Unfortulately I don't drink soda, so don't know how can I help?

[cb747]

Lets see all you people posting negatively lose X amount of dollars every week out of your pay checks or for those of you that have your own businesses watch your profits fall. You would all be crying the blues. I currently pay 0 for my health care and hope that it remains that way. Im a civil slave ( i mean servant) and the salary isnt that great but its the benefits that have kept me there for 17 years.
Maybe all you people are jealous because you HAVE to pay and thats why you have a problem with this thread.
KIng Kong what could you do with another 1000 a month? Im sure you wouldnt biotch if someone else was paying your health insurance............

[tigerarmy40]

no but id be pist... I dont think anyone is talking about quiting!? if what I said earlier didnt get through then I am waisting my time but think of a comp you get at work, long breaks or free lunchs or what ever and think of it getting taken away..... not good right, especilly if you dont get much in the means of pay and now you get less!? come on man you guys have to see both sides

[F35-Joint Strike Fighter]

Originally posted by cb747
Lets see all you people posting negatively lose X amount of dollars every week out of your pay checks or for those of you that have your own businesses watch your profits fall. You would all be crying the blues. I currently pay 0 for my health care and hope that it remains that way. Im a civil slave ( i mean servant) and the salary isnt that great but its the benefits that have kept me there for 17 years.


hehehe, I'm lucky enough to pay $0.000 for my heath and dental insurance.......Good owner BTW.

[cb747]

I agree Tigerarmy40 only you said it better than i did in my last post. If we keep outsourcing jobs there will be no middle class anymore. Itll be the rich and the poor. The companys want to save coin but at what expense? Thats a whole different rant though.

[AtlanticReef]

We're lucky enough to pay $0.000 for our family heath and dental insurance since we are working for KINGSTON.......That why I have money to buy corals..:) Good owner BTW

[reefpeep2004]

Originally posted by cb747
Lets see all you people posting negatively lose X amount of dollars every week out of your pay checks or for those of you that have your own businesses watch your profits fall. You would all be crying the blues.......
Okey dokey, although this belongs in THE LOUNGE, I'll respond to your post.

I work for Boeing. I get paid plenty. I started with paying nothing for insurance. I now pay some. In fact I pay more than I have to, because out of the three choices they gave me, I picked Blue Cross.

Would I have volunteered the change in benefits? No.

Am I such an idiot I would ask my friends to stop flying Boeing airplanes? No.

My work choices are MINE. Of course not being a Union person, I don't go around thinking my employer OWES me a job. I'm just darned thankful I work hard and they employ me. :)

[tigerarmy40]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by reefpeep2004
[B]Okey dokey, although this belongs in THE LOUNGE, I'll respond to your post.

[I get paid plenty]

enough said! for some people 50-100 bucks is alot of money

[fish @ chips 29]

Im a huge Dr Pepper ,Coke fan!!!. But i will be more that happy to put it on hold!!! Im also a Union Member!! Hope you guys get you'r benefits fixed soon.
And i agree with the comment that ppl are a bit jelouse :) i know i was, thats why i left a job of 6 years for the one im at now.. It 's real hard to pay $120 per pay check $100 for ER $50 per medications and with kids omg forget about it!!

Stand and fight it or it well only get worse!!!

[turtlespd]

no more coke for me, i guess im back to jin and juice!

[Freed]

I guess I'll just have to BUDGET my money and not get mad at "THE MAN" when I can't afford to pay for a small copay because I went on STRIKE and didn't get paid for a few weeks because no one bought the Coca Cola I should be getting paid to produce because it was the job I APPLIED to work at instead of applying somewhere else.

[ghow]

Just to let you know, Dr. Pepper is one of my Favorite sodas, since it is a product of the 7 - UP bottling company, NOT COCA-COLA, I will not be boycotting.... I do not drink Coke products anyway...


ghow:confused:

[tigerarmy40]

some peopl will never get it I guess!!!?

[reven]

Hopefully things turn out better for you then they did for the people who were on strike at the grocery stores. From what little I know, the strike made little difference for them. I guess they ended up with something that was very similar to the original offer from the grocery stores when their contract negotiations started.

[Badmort]

I'm on the fence on this one,
I supported the striking grocery workers and will support this.
Its a two sided issue , businesses are getting hammered by spiraling healthcare costs and workers are getting taxed hard in CA and are now being asked to shoulder part of healthcare as well.

So no Coca-cola for me and my family., Good thing its not Budlight right Mark :D

John

[reven]

Originally posted by Badmort
So no Coca-cola for me and my family., Good thing its not Budlight right Mark :D



I agree with that... if it was Anheuser-Busch it would be tough!

[bennyinca]

ghow - Dr Pepper is one of my faves, but it is a CocaCola product too :(

I must habe had 4 cokes today - and now I see this post - oh well - will do our best next time .... gonna be tough since we also drink Minute Maid juices and Powerade...

[J-Bass]

Go with Mr. Pibb, I think that's Pepsi's take on Dr.Pepper. Von's has their own version. I forget their silly name for it. Skipper or something like that.

[NicoleC]

For those of you who think unions are just about people wanting more than they "should" get, let me ask you a question -- do you like having vacation days, sick days, holidays, maternity/paternity leave, overtime, benefits, minimum wage, the standard of an 8 hour workday, lunch breaks, safety regulations (like not chaining people -- literally -- to their work) that prevent workplace injuries and fatalities, the abolition of child labor, healthcare benefits, pensions, worker's comp insurance, and laws against age, gender, religious and racial discrimination?

Unions are not all good; nothing is. But you can thank union members for fighting for all of the above -- things which non-union members also benefit from.

So next time you turn up your nose at a union who is fighting not to rollback benefits, ask yourself which of the above would you like to lose next? As go the unions, so go the rest of us. If you are happy with that, great. If not, you may want to reconsider your position.

(True diehard Libertarians do not believe in any of those benefits or protections for workers, so they are excused from the exercise. Of course, none of them should be reading this since they don't believe in taxpayer funded research, and that certainly includes the taxpayer funded internet.)

[capt. insano]

reefpeep2004

Here in Wichita, Boeing and its machinist union are in the news everyday! For years, it was always the "Union" v.s. "The big bad company". We had to hear from the machinists how Boeing was screwing them out of "entitlements" and "benefits they have earned"

Now, when a company starts messing with retirees pensions and the like, I can understand the Union fighting tooth and nail, but it is hard for the average working guy to side with the Union members plight when they are crying about have to pay $40 per month for awesome family plan health insurance........waaahhhhhh!

NOw, the wichita plant is being sold to a Canadian company (Onex) and the new buyer offered the machinists a new contract. Well, needless to say, the machinists voted it down and themselves potentially out of a job. What other business do you get to vote on whether or not you want to keep your job and still vote it down?

[Agu]

Wrong forum but it's not getting moved because it's pushing the edge of being political.So it's closed.......

Sorry,

Agu