18-April-2001 11:06 AM
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KOLAGE Lunch on Friday, June 1
Let's take advantage of our first half-day Friday and get together to enjoy lunch at Joe's on Juniper. It will be a great chance to socialize and to meet some of the new members.
We will meet there at 12:30 on Friday. If you are interested, let Robert know (rmarshall@na.ko.com, x6-6200) just so we have a rough idea of how many of us there will be.
I hope to see you there!
JOE'S ON JUNIPER
A Midtown restaurant and tavern, Joe's on Juniper invokes simpler times with oversized and boldly lit retro signs that bring smiles of recognition. Joe's menu features "Original Anchor Bar" Buffalo wings from mild to "suicidal", a dozen Certified Angus Beef burgers and chicken sandwiches, and a great selection of salads. There are 32 beers on tap, more than 110 bottled beers from around the World, 35 single malt Scotches, as well as classic cocktails and martinis. Joe's is just 2 blocks from Piedmont Park with French doors opening onto a patio with a great sunset-city view.JOE'S ON JUNIPER
Juniper @ 11th Street
1049 Juniper Street
Atlanta, GA 30309
404-875-6634
Pride Festival
Spring has sprung. Flowers are blooming, sticky and thick humidity lingers in the air, and the tank-top has again become ubiquitous in Midtown. That can only mean one thing: Atlanta Pride is coming soon! In response to several requests from the past couple of years, we're planning to march in the Atlanta Pride parade this year! KOLAGE last marched in the parade in 1998, and everyone involved at that time had a lot of fun bringing together their GLBT Pride and their pride in The Coca-Cola Company. In contrast to the past couple of years, we're also starting to think about Atlanta Pride a bit earlier this year.
Sam Clapp is going to coordinate the parade effort. He's working with marketing to determine what KO's presence at Atlanta Pride will look like. We feel fairly certain that our Company does not want to relive the embarrassment of the great Pepsi coup of 2000, so we're encouraging marketing to go beyond simply providing product.
"How can you help?" you ask. Do you have any suggestions for our Company's involvement in Atlanta Pride 2001? Great! Tell Sam. (saclapp@na.ko.com, x3-4440) Do you have any ideas on what would really make KOLAGE stand out in the parade? Great! Even crazy ideas are welcome! Tell Sam. Would you like to help coordinate any part of KOLAGE's part in Atlanta Pride 2001 (we're begging you to say yes)? Really great! Tell Sam!
Please email or call Sam Clapp (x. 34440) if you want to help out!
Don't hesitate, just act!
Hill Top Event Planning
Our Hill Top planning committee is working diligently on the plans for June's Hill Top Celebration. The big issue we face at the moment is that the members of the team overwhelmingly come from the Business Systems Group. We would love some input from folks in other areas.
So? Where's your departmental pride? We can't let BSG take all the credit! Send us your opinion, tell us what you want to see happen. Why heck, you could even join the Event Committee today! It won't require too much of your time! And it is a great way to get involved.
PALS Bingo
PALS (Pets Are Loving Support) Bingo is held once a month at the Ramada on Armour Drive. The money raised goes to help provide pet care for the pets of people inflicted with AIDS.
Admission is $10.00 this gets you 6 playing cards with 6 games on each card. You can purchase an additional $200.00 bonus game card with 3 games on it for $1.00 and an additional $500.00 bonus came card with 3 games on it for $2.00. They also provide ink spotters to mark your game card for $1.00.
Food and beverages are also offered, which, of course, are Coca-Cola products.
If enough people are interested, KOLAGE can reserve tables so that we can all sit together. This would be a great way to participate and show support for our community. It also allows the group to interact on a social level. Below is a list of the dates for this year. Each event has a different theme to make it more fun and interesting.
May 24 (4th Thursday in May) Beach Blanket Bingo
June 14 Pride Bingo
July 12 Gospel Bingo
August 9 Strip Bingo
September 13 Pageant Bingo
October 11 Uniform Bingo
November 8 Flashlight Bingo
December 13 Holiday BingoFiends and Family are always welcome!
If you are interested in attending on May 24th with the group, please contact Robert (rmarshall@na.ko.com x6-6200).
News from the Human Rights Campaign
919 18th Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20006
email: hrc@hrc.org
http://www.hrc.org
________________________________________________________
Thursday, April 19, 2001
NEW WORKPLACE BENEFITS REPORT HIGHLIGHTS DRAMATIC RISE IN COVERAGE FOR DOMESTIC PARTNERS
Human Rights Campaign Hails Spread But Notes Continued Benefits Inequities for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Employees
WASHINGTON- A new report on the prevalence of "family-friendly" workplace benefits confirms that coverage of domestic partners is increasing at a rapid pace, but it also points up how many benefits are routinely denied to gay and lesbian workers because they cannot get married, the Human Rights Campaign said today.
The "2001 Benefits Survey" released Wednesday by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that 25 percent of respondents reported that they offer domestic partner benefits to opposite-sex partners and that 16 percent reported offering these benefits to same-sex partners. In 2000, SHRM found 10 percent of respondents offered DP benefits. (2001 was the first year that SHRM asked separate questions on same-sex and opposite-sex coverage.)
"This growth rate is phenomenal, and confirms what we at the Human Rights Campaign have observed," said Kim I. Mills, HRC's education director. "Domestic partner benefits are on their way to becoming a standard business practice because employers are learning by experience that they help attract and keep good employees."
The SHRM study found that organizations with 2,501 or more employees are more likely to offer domestic partner benefits to same-sex partners than their smaller counterparts. The study also found that, out of 12 market sectors polled, the high-tech and computer industry sector was most likely to offer domestic partner benefits, for both same-sex and opposite-sex partners. Market sectors that were least inclined to offer the benefits included manufacturing; finance, insurance and real estate; and government.
"Again, this closely tracks the data we have been collecting for years through HRC WorkNet, our workplace advocacy project," Mills said.
SHRM's study measured the spread of a variety of what it termed "family-friendly" workplace benefits, such as dependent care flexible spending accounts, flextime, adoption assistance, financial aid to employees' families and even pre-paid funeral assistance.
The SHRM questionnaire did not specifically define domestic partner benefits - although HRC has defined that term to include health insurance coverage at a minimum. "We have found that many employers define 'family' quite narrowly, so that many of the benefits listed in the SHRM report would probably not be offered to gay and lesbian couples," Mills said. "Nevertheless, we are extremely heartened to see that the general trend is on the increase."
In previous years, when SHRM did not break down DP benefits by type of relationship, the organization found 6 percent of respondents offered domestic partner benefits in 1997; 7 percent in 1998; and 9 percent in 1999. The 2001 survey was distributed to 2,610 randomly selected SHRM members. A total of 754 replied, for a response rate of 29 percent. SHRM describes itself as "the leading voice of the human resource profession," with more than 150,000 professional and student members throughout the world. The SHRM 2001 Benefits Survey, funded in part by the SHRM Foundation, is available online for free to SHRM members at http://www.shrm.org/surveys . Non-members may purchase a survey for $59.95 by calling 800-444-5006. Data collected by HRC WorkNet is available for free at www.hrc.org/worknet.
The Human Rights Campaign is the nation's largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. HRC effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support, and educates the public to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans can be open, honest, and safe at home, at work and in the community.
Miscellaneous
Steering Committee Members
Robert C Marshall 6-6200 rmarshall@na.ko.com
Sam Clapp 3-4440 saclapp@na.ko.com
Nancy Wilkinson 6-3471 nwilkinson@na.ko.com
B. Keith Poss 6-5887 bposs@na.ko.comDistribution List Changes
Only two members of the Steering Committee maintain the distribution list for the KOLAGE update: Robert C. Marshall and Nancy Wilkinson.For any changes to the distribution list (e.g. moving your name from carbon copy to blind copy, vice versa, or changing your email address) please contact either Robert or Nancy.If you know someone who would like to be added to the distribution list please have them contact either Robert or Nancy.
Clearing House
If you would like to host or organize an event for KOLAGE members, let Sam Clapp (or any other steering committee member) know. We will publish it in the next bulletin. If you do not want your name included in the bulletin, one of the SC members will act as the contact, and pass the information on to you.KOLAGE belongs to and reflects the desires of its members. Membership is available to all associates within the Coca-Cola system, without regard to sexual orientation.