Dr. Pepper Calls Boycott Unfair
One day after a group of African American activists called for a boycott of Seven-Up and RC Cola products to protest alleged racism at a local bottling plant, a spokesman for the Dr. Pepper/Seven-Up company said the boycott was unfair.
A spokesman for Texas-based Dr. Pepper/Seven-Up Inc. said the soft drink company does not own the Vernon bottling plant and does not condone “inequality or unfair employment practices.”
“We don’t think it’s appropriate for a boycott to be targeted at our products when the bottler is a local company,” said spokesman Mike Martin.
The activists called for the boycott because they say white supervisors at the Seven-Up/RC Cola bottling plant in Vernon have denied promotions to five minority managers because of their race.
The allegations are detailed in a $2.5-million lawsuit.
Najee Ali, a leader of the boycott, said the soft drink company should be held partly responsible because, he contended, it has failed to address the situation.
“They have to share some of the responsibility,” Ali said.
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