During the fourth grade, every Friday we had a “Motts Day.” Yet another example of the superficial attempts made by adults to control children through bribery and sweets, it was a day to reward kids who didn’t get written up every week by allowing them to visit the “Motts Machine” and purchase some sugary juice product to reward them for their good behavior—and to let the “bad kids” sit by and watch solemnly while those who had fifty cents enjoyed their drinks.

Of course, those of us who weren’t written up but didn’t have the money for Motts Day didn’t get a reward, either, which made the whole thing pretty pointless in my eyes. The injustices on all of these levels were not lost on little ten-year-old me, who’d already been to her first protest—for my swim teachers’ union, alongside my mother and many other people—though I still didn’t quite understand the dynamics entirely.

Today, injustices surrounding Motts still exist—if not for kids, then for Motts workers themselves. Though the company is still turning many a buck—and why wouldn’t they, with products like Snapple, which I would totally drink myself on an hourly basis if A. I wanted to spend that much money and calories on drinks and packaging and B. if the workers weren’t being treated so badly—they are not sharing the wealth with their employees.

In fact, Motts workers are being threatened with not only paycheck cuts, but also retirement plans. Dr. Pepper Snapple/Motts, I have to ask you—just where does the buck stop? How many luxuries do your Powers That Be require that you have to chop the entire lives and futures of your workers and their families? I’m sure you don’t realize that your workers need that hard-earned money for paying for their food, clothing, homes, and travel to and from your facility, but the reality is that most people live quite a different lifestyle than the one that’s visible from your high-rise windows.

Please write to Dr. Pepper Snapple today and ask them to treat their workers with the dignity and respect they deserve—which includes full pay and pension plans. You can do so at this form here. Please also consider boycotting them as my family and I are doing until they remedy this injustice. Though Snapple is unbelievably sweet, there is nothing sweet about denying families their right to earn a living.