Coca-Cola wrestles protesters and issues at annual meeting

[klook]

Jim Lovel of the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports:

"As The Coca-Cola Co. wrestled with questions about finding a successor to Chairman and CEO Doug Daft, the Wilmington, Del., police department wrestled one shareholder to the ground at Coke's annual meeting.

"Shareholder Ray Rogers, the president of Corporate Campaign Inc., a New York group that has encouraged student protests across the nation for the past year to support union workers in Coke bottling plants in Colombia, addressed Coke and expressed concerns about Colombia. He was wrestled to the ground by six Wilmington police officers and forcibly removed from the meeting.

"Rogers accused the company of being "rife with corruption" and accused Daft of lying about the company's role in human rights issues in Colombia."
<more>

See also:

• killercoke.org


• Colombia, CEO Search Rankles Coca-Cola, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

[Amerpie]

1. Ray Rogers

is the same guy who led the Hormel workers in Austin, Minnesota to defeat in their strike in the mid-80s.

[Dover]

2. I must have missed something big. What happened to Daft?

Did he die, retire, get fired, jailed? The Coke corp. is bigger and richer than many countries....

[Judi Lynn]

3. I've been hearing about these guys for years, and it's a shame

they've not been tempted to change their ways.

From the article:

In the lawsuit, Gil's union, Sinaltrainal, the International Labor Rights Fund (ILRF) and the United Steelworkers of America assert that the Coke bottlers "contracted with or otherwise directed paramilitary security forces that utilized extreme violence and murdered, tortured, unlawfully detained or otehrwise silenced trade union leaders."

Minutes after the thugs showed up at the Carepa plant gate, they fired 10 shots at Gil, a member of the union executive board, mortally wounding him. An hour later, another union leader was kidnapped at his home. That evening, a building that housed the union's offices, equipment and records was set ablaze.

The next day, a heavily armed group returned to the plant, called the workers together and told them if they didn't quit the union by 4 p.m., they, too, would be killed. Resignation forms were prepared in advance by Coca-Cola's plant manager, who had a history of socializing with the paramilitaries and had earlier "given (them) an order to carry out the task of destroying the union," the lawsuit says.

Fearing for their lives, union members at Carepa resigned en masse and fled the area. The company broke off contract negotiations, the paramilitaries camped outside the plant gate for the next two months, and the union was crushed. Experienced workers who made about $380 a month were replaced by new hires earning minimum wage ($130 a month).
(snip)

http://www.killercoke.org/crimes-isidro.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They've proceeded full speed ahead, even knowing people all over the world are aware of their record of violent abuse of third world workers.

Makes that stupid commercial they did years ago with people singing sweetly "in per-fect har-mo-ny" sound like the most offensive insult the world has ever known, were it not for companies like Halliburton, etc.

[Dover]

4. I'd like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony.........eom

..

[tom_paine]

5. I guess he should be lucky the Corproate Busheviks didn't have him

committed to a Mental Institution, Soviet-style.

That's more of an "Emperor George P. Bush" initiative that will be in practice by 2050, certainly, if things keep going the way they're going.

[cosmicdot]

6. not being a fan of corporate america ...

... or corporate boards ...

I say: bring it on ...

Coca-Cola Board of Directors: Herbert A. Allen, Ronald W. Allen, Cathleen P. Black, Warren E. Buffett, Douglas N. Daft, Barry Diller, Donald R. Keough, Susan Bennett King, Maria Elena Lagomasino, Donald F. McHenry, Robert L. Nardelli, Sam Nunn, J. Pedro Reinhard, James D. Robinson III, Peter V. Ueberroth and James B. Williams ...


... whose luggage and tentacles reach to: Delta Air, Hearst Corporation, IBM, Washington Post Company, Bershire-Hathaway, SunTrust Banks, McGraw-Hill, Paramount Pictures, J.P. Morgan, AT&T Corporation, FleetBoston Financial Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline plc, International Paper Company, Home Depot, ChevronTexaco Corporation, Dell Inc., General Electric Company, Internet Security Systems, Inc.,
Scientific-Atlanta, Dow Chemical, Royal Bank of Canada, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, First Data Corporation, Novell, Inc., Ambassadors International, Inc., Hilton Hotels, McLeodUSA, Georgia-Pacific

Warren Buffet possesses over 200 million shares or 8.16 % and his
Berkshire Hathaway owns another 200 million or 8.19%

they sit on some of the most powerful Boards in America
some sit on government committeess
they make decisions which affect our lives
http://www.theyrule.net





HERBERT A. ALLEN Director since 1982
Age 63

Mr. Allen is President and Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Allen & Company Incorporated, a privately held investment firm, and has held these positions for more than the past five years. Mr. Allen was a Managing Director of Allen & Company LLC, a privately held investment banking firm, from September 2002 to February 24, 2003. He is a Director of Convera Corporation.



RONALD W. ALLEN Director since 1991
Age 62

Mr. Allen is a consultant to and Advisory Director of Delta Air Lines, Inc., a major U.S. air transportation company, and has held these positions since July 1997. He retired as Delta's Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer in July 1997, and had been its Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since 1987. He is a Director of Aaron Rents, Inc.



CATHLEEN P. BLACK Director since 1993
Age 59

Ms. Black is President, Hearst Magazines, a unit of The Hearst Corporation, a major media and communications company, and has held this position since November 1995. Ms. Black has been a Director of The Hearst Corporation since January 1996. From May 1991 to November 1995, she served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Newspaper Association of America, a newspaper industry organization. She served as a Director of the Company from April 1990 to May 1991, and was again elected as a Director in October 1993. Ms. Black is a Director of International Business Machines Corporation and iVillage.com.




WARREN E. BUFFETT Director since 1989
Age 73

Mr. Buffett is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., a diversified holding company, and has held these positions for more than the past five years. He is also a Director of The Washington Post Company.




DOUGLAS N. DAFT Director since 1999
Age 60

Mr. Daft is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and has held these positions since February 2000. He served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company from December 1999 until February 2000. He previously served as Senior Vice President of the Company from 1991 until December 1999. Mr. Daft also served as President of the Middle and Far East Group which also included management responsibility for the Africa Group and the Schweppes Beverage Division from October 1999 until December 1999. Mr. Daft joined the Company in 1969, and has held various executive positions since 1984. Mr. Daft is also a Director of SunTrust Banks, Inc. and The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.



BARRY DILLER Director since 2002
Age 62

Mr. Diller is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of InterActiveCorp, an interactive commerce company. He has held this position with InterActiveCorp or its predecessors since August 1995. He was Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of QVC, Inc. from December 1992 through December 1994. From 1984 to 1992, Mr. Diller served as the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Fox, Inc. Prior to joining Fox, Inc., Mr. Diller served for ten years as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount Pictures Corporation. He is also a Director of The Washington Post Company.




DONALD R. KEOUGH Director since 2004
Age 77

Mr. Keough is Chairman of the Board of Allen & Company Incorporated, a privately held investment firm, and has held this position for more than the past five years. Mr. Keough retired as President, Chief Operating Officer and a Director of the Company in April 1993. He is also a Director of InterActiveCorp, Convera Corporation and Berkshire Hathaway Inc.




SUSAN BENNETT KING Director since 1991
Age 63

Ms. King is Chairman of the Board of The Leadership Initiative, Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy, a support corporation of Duke University, charged with the establishment of undergraduate college leadership programs, and has held this position since September 2001. From September 1999 to September 2001, she served as President of The Leadership Initiative. From January 1995 until September 1999, she served as Leader in Residence, Hart Leadership Program, Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy, Duke University. She was Senior Vice President — Corporate Affairs of Corning Incorporated from March 1992 through April 1994, and served as President of Corning's Steuben Glass division from 1987 to March 1992. She is a Director of Guidant Corporation.



MARIA ELENA LAGOMASINO Director since 2003
Age 54

Ms. Lagomasino is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of J.P. Morgan Private Bank, a unit of J.P. Morgan Chase. Prior to assuming this position in September 2001, Ms. Lagomasino was Managing Director at The Chase Manhattan Bank in charge of its Global Private Banking Group. Ms. Lagomasino had been with Chase Manhattan since 1983 in various positions in private banking. Prior to 1983 she was a Vice President at Citibank. Ms. Lagomasino is a Director of Avon Products, Inc.




DONALD F. McHENRY Director since 1981
Age 67

Mr. McHenry is Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy and International Affairs at the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, and a principal owner and President of The IRC Group, LLC, a Washington, D.C. consulting firm. He has held these positions for more than the past five years. He is a Director of AT&T Corporation, FleetBoston Financial Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline plc and International Paper Company.




ROBERT L. NARDELLI Director since 2002
Age 55

Mr. Nardelli is Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Home Depot, Inc., a major home improvement retailer, a position he has held since December 2000. From 1995 to December 2000, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Power Systems.




SAM NUNN Director since 1997
Age 65

Mr. Nunn is Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a position he has held since 2001. The Nuclear Threat Initiative is a charitable organization working to reduce the global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Mr. Nunn was a partner in the law firm of King & Spalding from 1997 to December 31, 2003. He served as a member of the United States Senate from 1972 through 1996. He is a Director of ChevronTexaco Corporation, Dell Inc., General Electric Company, Internet Security Systems, Inc. and Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.




J. PEDRO REINHARD Director since 2003
Age 58

Mr. Reinhard is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Dow Chemical Company, a specialty chemical company, a position he has held for more than the past five years. He is a Director of The Dow Chemical Company, Dow Corning Corporation, Royal Bank of Canada and Sigma-Aldrich Corporation.




JAMES D. ROBINSON III Director since 1975
Age 68

Mr. Robinson is co-founder and General Partner of RRE Ventures and Chairman of RRE Investors, LLC, private information technology venture firms and has held these positions since 1994. He is also President of JD Robinson, Inc., a strategic advisory firm. Mr. Robinson previously served as non-executive Chairman of Violy, Byorum & Partners Holdings, LLC from 1996 to 2003. He previously served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Express Company from 1977 to 1993. Mr. Robinson is a Director of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, First Data Corporation and Novell, Inc.




PETER V. UEBERROTH Director since 1986
Age 66

Mr. Ueberroth is an investor and Chairman of the Contrarian Group, Inc., a business management company, and has held this position since 1989. He is also Co-Chairman of Pebble Beach Company. He is Chairman of Ambassadors International, Inc. and is a Director of Hilton Hotels Corporation and McLeodUSA Incorporated.




JAMES B. WILLIAMS Director since 1979
Age 70

Mr. Williams retired in March 1998 as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of SunTrust Banks, Inc., a bank holding company, which positions he had held for more than five years. He continues to serve as a Director and Chairman of the Executive Committee of SunTrust Banks, Inc. and is also a Director of Genuine Parts Company, Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Marine Products Corporation, Rollins, Inc. and RPC, Inc.

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/21344/000104746904006480/a2128080zdef14a.htm

[Dover]

7. Shareholders ARE participating more in decisions, but need to do more

There were many important decisions to be made at this month's meeting, not least of which was the separation of powers within the corporation between chairman/CEO duties. In fact this question was on the voting docket this month at MANY corporate meetings. Here's how votes went at that meeting:

...Coke also addressed questions about finding a successor for Daft, who will resign at the end of 2004. The company has considered "dozens and dozens" and interviewed "several" candidates.

"We will do it in a very short period of time," said Don Keough, board member and chairman of Coke's search committee. "To say any more would be irresponsible."

Also at the meeting, shareholders re-elected the entire board of directors. All of the directors got 96 percent of the vote, except board member and billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who got 84 percent.

On April 18, The California Public Employees Retirement System (Calpers), the biggest U.S. public pension, said it would withhold its vote to re-elect Buffett and several other directors due to what it perceives as their conflicting business relationships with Coke.

Seventy-five percent of shareholders also voted against separating the jobs of CEO and chairman.

Coke's board has also appointed Donald R. Knauss executive vice president. Knauss was named president and chief operating officer of Coke's North American operations in February.