Online Voters to Select Most Abusive Corporations for ''Hall of Shame'' - Corporate Accountability International - Challenging Abuse, Protecting People - Think Outside the Bottle


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Online Voters to Select Most Abusive Corporations for ''Hall of Shame''
Coke, Exxon, Ford, Halliburton, Kimberly-Clark, Merck, Nestlé and Wal-Mart Selected as Candidates; Write-Ins Also Considered

For Immediate Release:
May 16, 2007

Contact:
Liam O'Donoghue (415) 901-0111, lodonoghue@fenton.com

BOSTON -- Online polls open this week for the Corporate Hall of Shame, a competition created by Corporate Accountability International. The membership organization, which has worked to protect people from irresponsible and dangerous corporations for the past 30 years, is allowing visitors to their Web site (www.stopcorporateabuse.org) to select which of the following corporations deserve to be inducted in 2007: Coke, Exxon, Ford, Halliburton, Kimberly-Clark, Merck, Nestlé and Wal-Mart.

Online visitors can vote for up to three of the nominees -- who were chosen based on documented abuses, influence peddling and practices that harm people and the environment -- or they can write-in their own nominee. Voting will take place online at http://www.stopcorporateabusenow.org/campaign/hallofshame2007 through May. The top three vote-getters will be announced in June, along with some voter comments and the top write-in candidates.

"Although all of the nominees deserve this infamous dishonor, we look forward to seeing which ones concerned citizens believe are the worst of the worst," said Kathryn Mulvey, executive director of Corporate Accountability International. "Offending corporations should take notice: you are not getting away with your abusive practices. What better way to expose their harmful track records than to give the public an online outlet for their frustration each year."

The goal of the Hall of Shame is to publicly challenge corporations and expose their abuses, political influence and manipulation of public policy. This year’s nominees include:

Coca-Cola, for draining local water supplies in drought prone areas in India, allowing harassment of workers fighting for labor rights in Colombia, undermining public confidence in local water utilities, and falsely promoting itself as a socially responsible corporation.

ExxonMobil, for refusing to pay $4.5 billion in damages from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and spending millions to delay action on global warming, including funding "junk science" to confuse the issue.

Ford, for awful fuel efficiency and pollution ratings, blocking government efforts to improve auto emissions, thwarting efforts by workers to unionize, and paying its CEO $28 million (for only four months of work) as they plan to cut 30,000 jobs.

Halliburton, the nation’s leading war profiteer, for grossly under-delivering -- and shortchanging our troops -- on more than $20 billion in lucrative government contracts and for planning to move its headquarters to Dubai, enabling them to shirk paying their full share of U.S. taxes.

Kimberly-Clark, for using the same tree fiber suppliers -- after years of denial -- for its tissues that have contributed to the destruction of the world’s remaining ancient forests in North America.

Merck, for keeping Vioxx on the shelves for four years after learning that the pain medication was causing heart attacks, heavy-handed political tactics, and fighting government efforts in Thailand to allow generic versions of AIDS medications.

Nestlé, for numerous abuses -- including use of child labor on cocoa farms, skirting responsibility for its role in the obesity epidemic, and draining community water supplies for its bottled water products.

Wal-Mart, for failing to support its workers, who live close to the poverty line and often are not covered by the corporation’s health plan, for displacing local businesses and for massive claims of sexual discrimination.

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Corporate Accountability International, formerly Infact, is a membership organization that protects people by waging and winning campaigns challenging irresponsible and dangerous corporate actions around the world. For over 25 years, we've forced corporations -- like Nestlé, General Electric and Philip Morris/Altria -- to stop abusive actions. For more information visit www.stopcorporateabuse.org.