Coke vs. Pepsi

By Amy Chan

The switch from Coca-Cola to Pepsi products has definitely infused a buzz on campus. "I like Gatorade better than Powerade anyways!" said sophomore Andrew Engel as he smiled about the switch of beverage providers in all the dining services and vending machines on campus.

General Manager Lori Flashner of Bon Appetit clarified the motivation for the switch. The university's contract with Coca-Cola was expiring, and the university has the right to get bids from other companies. She prefers Pepsi for their quality and service. "I've dealt with Pepsi accounts, their service tends to be stronger," Flashner said.

Yet Flashner was not involved in the decision-making process as she just began her position here this fall. Administrators such as Jane Barrantes, Director of Auxiliary Services, extensively outlined the reasons for the switch. First, Pepsi offers a more diverse product line. The most popular of these labels include Gatorade, Starbucks, SoBe, Dole Juice, Dr. Pepper, Lipton, Squirt, Mountain Dew and Sierra Mist. She believes Pepsi's line is more appealing to the age group Bon Appetite services. Second, Pepsi's marketing and service records with Bon Appetit and Canteen vending looked like potential matches. Lastly, Pepsi simply gave a better bid than the Coca-Cola.

Yet the switch signifies more than just having more options. The switch means Santa Clara, a Jesuit university built on Jesuit values and ethics, is not going to be contracted with a company that has contributed to the deaths of eight union leaders from Coca-Cola plants in Colombia. Earning over $4.85 billion in profits in 2004, Coca-Cola would like to ensure they are going to keep earning high profits every year. But the reality of those high profits is to keep wages in factories low.

In order to keep wages low, Coca-Cola is participating in an act called "union busting." Since 1989, paramilitary forces in Colombia have murdered, intimidated, kidnapped, and tortured any workers attempting to unionize their factories.

According to United Students Against Sweatshops, an organization campaigning against Coca-Cola, members of the paramilitary brutally murdered union leader Isidro Gil inside the factory grounds. "They returned the next day and forced all of the plant's workers to resign from their union by signing documents on Coca-Cola letterhead," stated the organization.

This student group has targeted Coca-Cola for several years through the Killer Coke Campaign. United Students Against Sweatshops will be uniting the students in the US, Canada, and the UK on Oct. 24, in the first International Week of Action Against Coke & for Human Rights.

The Coca-Cola Company is also negatively affecting communities across India. The communities located near bottling plants are facing severe water shortages. Yet, despite repeated pleas for help, Coca-Cola has not put in the time or resources to ensure the most basic safety of bottling plant workers or prevent massive environmental degradation in the communities where it does business.

Flashner admitted the environmental disasters and human rights violations of the Coca-Cola Company were not the primary factors in the decision making process. But she understands that this is an important issue for this university and its students.

Although Coca-Cola is off our campus, the battle is not over. Dozens of other universities across the nation are attempting to break contracts with one of the world's most powerful and profitable corporations in the world. Barrantes explained the university was aware of situation with Coca-Cola and of the fact that there is "unrest on campuses nationwide pressurizing Coca-Cola."

She further explained that she considered all of these factors, including the ethical reasons, as important elements in the big switch. "In the final analysis, we didn't need to follow up further with Coca-Cola because other factors as well tipped the scale for a Pepsi selection," claims Barrantes.

So next time you plan on quenching that thirst, remember Coca-Cola is still out there. It owns several major brands such as Odwalla, Minute Maid and Fanta, among others. Next time you go shopping for beverages, turn over the label and look to see if it is a Coca-Cola product. It is a surprise then that even with such a large domination of the beverage and services market that Coca-Cola and has not made a more conscious effort to clean up their act.

Now Santa Clara students can feel comfortable that they are not contributing to a powerful company that leaves people of Colombia and India powerless.

Amy Chan is a senior political science major, environmental studies minor.