Coke’s Not It: 16 Workers Sue, Call Giant ‘Cesspool’ of Racial Discrimination

By John Marzulli, New York Daily News

Sixteen black and Hispanic production workers are suing Coca-Cola, claiming they have been forced to work in a “ cesspool of racial discrimination.” The suit, filed in Brooklyn Federal Court, accuses the company of relegating minorities to less favorable assignments, unfair disciplinary action and retaliation for complaining.

[…]

Several plaintiffs say they were subjected to racial epithets, and the people who used them went unpunished, according to the complaint.

The suits are centered on two production plants — one in Maspeth, Queens, and another in Elmsford in Westchester

NY Daily News has more details.

Racism permeates every industry, including the police.

More breaking news here.

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1 Comment

  1. The Coke 16 on April 20, 2012 at 8:56 AM

    Greetings.
    Just wanted to thank you for reporting on our struggle against the giant oppressor. This will not be an easy battle, since they do have far more resources than we do, and will delay this as much as they can to break us. This maneuvering is nothing but a typical case of a big fish trying to eat the smaller one. But knowledge is the key here, therefore the more people who are aware of this situation the more difficult it will be for them to put a cover over this light. What we want is real change, so that the next generation of young minority workers who come up, won’t have to face all the humiliating circumstances that we have had to endure all these years. personally I was an employee for 15 years, won numerous performance awards, never written up, never went as far as getting a parking ticket while driving any of their vehicles during the performance of my duties, but all it took was for me to raise a concern about the conditions I and my other minority coworkers were being subjected to and all went down the drain, the rest we will demonstrate beyond any doubt in court. It is our confidence in the words of the songs of old ” I am so glad that trouble don’t last always ” and the deep faith in God almighty, what has kept us all together strong and sane. The humiliations were too much to bare at times, but deep down inside there was an inner strength that we did not know we had, which has kept us focus on what needed to be done, so prepared to endure this new battle to demonstrate what we already know, we go forward humbly, but with our heads held high, knowing that the truth us on our side, and that people will support us, once the details start to emerge. Please, feel free to contact us through our facebook page at facebook.com/Thecoke16 (please also take a second and like us there also), or our webpage http://www.thecoke16.com. With the support of the decent people of this great nation, we can bridge the gap that exists between the haves and the have nots. It is our intention to turn this lawsuit into a landmark case where evil corrupt corporatism gets exposed in all its evil darkness, by the light of truth, and when this is done, then we can start the road towards real change.
    We also ask for your support, in the words of the late Dr Martin Luther King Jr
    “For when people get caught up with that which is right and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping point short of victory.”

    God bless you and thank you.
    TC16

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