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Queen's University has had a history of making secret deals with dubious corporate citizens such as Sodexho and Coca Cola, and is now trying to open the campus up to Starbucks Coffee. This company is well known for its union-busting practices, using prison labour, and failing to live up to its promises to use, sell, and brew so-called 'fair trade' beans. For these reasons alone, we object to the presence of this company on campus, as it sullies the good name of Queen's University by association.
But we are also concerned about the way in which the 'trial' of Starbucks coffee is being conducted. There is no methodology, no transparency, and a blatant bias in favour of Starbucks is evident in both the public presentation of corporate materials in the Mac-Corry cafeteria, and in the way this scheme has been pushed through the Food Services Committee despite the objections of many representatives. Put simply, this is not a trial, it's a simplistic exercise in corporate manipulation of a 'target market'.
Queen's faculty, staff, and students are not 'customers', and Queen's University is not a 'market'. We require that decision-making around important issues respect our ability to express our opinions through means other than purchasing products, and we require that ALL representatives on the Food Services Committee are given the opportunity to be heard, at EVERY meeting.
We therefore state clearly and categorically that we did not want this 'trial' to be conducted, we wish it to be discontinued, and we do not want Starbucks Coffee to be sold anywhere on our campus by anyone, at any time.
This petition will be delivered (in hard copy and electronically) to all members of the Queen's Food Services Committee by April 10, 2006. If you support our efforts to begin to rid Queen's of negative associations with some of the worst multinational corporations, please add your signature below. |
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This petition is sponsored by the Queen's Coalition for Ethical Purchasing and Investment (QCEPI). |
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