Coke employees protest cancellation of employee health benefits without prior notification

Coke Cancels Employee Health Benefits Without Prior Notification

Striking Coke employees and supporters will converge on the Sounders game at Qwest field on Saturday to inform fans about Coke's attack on employee health care.  Coke cancelled health care for 500 of its employees without prior notification, after employees went on strike over the Company's refusal to bargain in good faith.

"As a diabetic and a single mom whose son just broke his wrist, I am shocked that Coke would cancel our health care," said Darci Hall, a merchandiser who works at the Coke production facility in Bellevue.  "This is going to be a tremendous financial burden for me and my son."

"My wife is having issues with her liver and pancreas and has been in and out of the hospital for about six months," said Nate Foxley, a production worker at Coke's facility in Bellevue.  "She tried to fill a prescription and was told that our insurance had been cancelled."  

Coca-Cola is the "official soft drink partner" of Qwest Field.  Last Saturday, approximately 200 Coke employees engaged in an action at the Seahawks game at Qwest Field in an effort to raise awareness about Coke's proposals to eliminate health care for retirees, reduce employees' health benefits, and raise employees' premiums by 800 percent.