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At its March 10 meeting, the Associated Students UCLA Board of Directors met with Coke Free Campus, the student coalition seeking the removal of Coca-Cola products from campus, to hear the group’s complaints regarding Coca-Cola’s alleged mistreatment of workers in Columbia.

The presentation, led by Megan Markoff, a second-year political science student, and Alexis Montes, a fourth-year history and political science student, outlined the coalition’s evidence for believing that Coca-Cola has engaged in inhumane practices against its workers at its Colombian bottling plants.

“Many Coca-Cola workers have been tortured, murdered, detained, and kidnapped without investigation or defense by their employer,” Montes said.

Coca-Cola has denied these allegations on several occasions, saying the murders have been investigated by both the Colombian courts and the attorney general.

The company said both found no evidence of any Coca-Cola involvement in the crimes.

In order to make a complete and informed decision, ASUCLA will meet with Coca-Cola at its next board meeting, during which the company will present its side of the argument, said Bob Williams, executive director of ASUCLA.

Following the presentation, the board engaged in discussion with the student coalition, voicing questions and concerns.

Williams asked for clarification of the coalition’s ultimate goal, inquiring at what point Coca-Cola would produce enough satisfactory change for the student group.

Montes responded, saying Coca-Cola should “incorporate humane practices into its treatment of workers and change its policies in Columbia,” in regards to alleged mistreatment of workers.

One of the concerns expressed by ASUCLA board members involved the overall impact on students and various other ASUCLA services of eliminating Coca-Cola products.

Craig Kaplan, the alumni representative on the ASUCLA Board of Directors, asked if a Pepsi contract would be a satisfactory alternative to renewing the Coca-Cola contract, which Montes said would be acceptable.

This point led to a discussion on ASUCLA’s social responsibility in a world context, as well as in the local sphere of the UCLA community.

Markoff said after ASUCLA demonstrated support of the removal of apartheid, they set the standard for ASUCLA to be socially responsible. Students voiced concerns over ASUCLA’s involvement with companies associated with the South African government in the late 1980s.

But ASUCLA must also be aware of the repercussions of eliminating Coca-Cola for other ASUCLA services, as well as for the larger student population, graduate representative and board chair Hoi Ning Ngai said.

At the meeting, the board also discussed other ongoing topics for ASUCLA, including Student Media’s financial status and the current status of the Cooperage remodeling project.

Williams expressed support of the Communication Board’s decision to forgo the fee referendum, which would raise student fees to help aid the financial situation of Student Media.

At the Communications Board meeting on Feb. 27, Arvli Ward, the Student Media director, presented a plan to significantly reduce costs, change the online media, and add services to help alleviate the financial crisis.

Williams said the Communication Board’s next steps would be to meet with ASUCLA management and the various other ASUCLA entities.

Williams also addressed the development of the Cooperage remodeling project, reporting that the board has received the preliminary design sketches but will be revising them at another meeting March 14.

Renovations have also begun on the Jamba Juice space, formerly the location for the XCape arcade. Framing walls, facades and false columns have already begun to go in, Williams said.

The plans for the Healthy Foods bar are currently available for bids and ASUCLA is waiting for the bidders’ responses soon, Williams said.