Leaflet advertising a picket at a University of Pennsylvania Trustees meeting on October 30 at 1 PM at Houston Hall. Last June, the campus community was relieved by the Penn trustees' decision to divest from companies doing business in South Africa. But, under that policy, Penn continues to invest in corporations making profits from apartheid. In response to divestment pressures, several corporations have found loopholes, or "exit strategies," enabling them to claim they have withdrawn from South Africa while continuing business as usual. One justification has been agreeing to "work codes" supposedly designed to improve the conditions for black employees. Now these have been abandoned in favor...
Leaflet advertising a picket at a University of Pennsylvania Trustees meeting on October 30 at 1 PM at Houston Hall. Last June, the campus community was relieved by the Penn trustees' decision to divest from companies doing business in South Africa. But, under that policy, Penn continues to invest in corporations making profits from apartheid. In response to divestment pressures, several corporations have found loopholes, or "exit strategies," enabling them to claim they have withdrawn from South Africa while continuing business as usual. One justification has been agreeing to "work codes" supposedly designed to improve the conditions for black employees. Now these have been abandoned in favor of the new "double shuffle." Penn trustees who sit on the boards of corporations with South African ties continue to vote on divestment questions, rather than disqualifying themselves because of their clear conflict of interest. The leaflet demands that the trustees live up to their promise by pulling Penn's money out of all corporations with direct investments and also franchise, licensing or management agreements with South African corporate entities. The leaflet mentions IBM (International Business Machines), General Motors (GM), and Coca Cola. [Note: Apparently two versions of this leaflet were issued; the other is black and white and one-sided.]
