FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2026
Contact:
Luis Robledo
lrobledo@jobstomoveamerica.org
256.390.9630
Inclusion based on documented labor and human rights violations, including those cited in a Jobs to Move America report about low-road practices that put workers and communities at risk
Los Angeles—For the first time, the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) has listed Hyundai-Kia’s U.S. supply chain in its annual 2026 Dirty Dozen Report. The annual list spotlights 12 employers that have put workers at risk by failing to prevent on-the-job injuries, illnesses, and deaths.
The designation comes amid growing documentation of unsafe working conditions, labor violations, and exploitative practices within Hyundai-Kia’s U.S. supply chain, including allegations of child labor and coercive prison labor.
This year’s Dirty Dozen report highlights systemic failures across industries, driven by corporate decisions that prioritize speed and cost-cutting over worker safety.
The inclusion of Hyundai-Kia’s U.S. supply chain comes after a groundbreaking report, Hidden in Plain Sight, Safety, Labor & Environmental Violations Driving Hyundai-Kia’s Supply Chain, was released by Jobs to Move America in coalition with community organizations that uncovers documented labor violations among auto part companies in Hyundai-Kia’s U.S. supply chain, including child labor, preventable injuries and fatalities, and coercive prison labor.
Kissy Cox, an auto manufacturing worker at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, said: “I reported my injuries, but I was still required to work in pain for months before getting proper medical attention. I have witnessed many of my coworkers are going through the same thing. The company says it’s a safe place to work, but the reality does not match what we experience.”
An auto manufacturing supply chain worker employed through a subcontractor connected to the Hyundai-Kia U.S. Supply Chain, who requested anonymity, said: “We see safety violations every day, from inadequate training to dangerous conditions that put lives at risk. Workers have been injured and even killed, yet there is little accountability. We want safe jobs, not just promises.”
The Recall Injustice Campaign is working to secure a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with Hyundai‑Kia to ensure workers and communities across the country not only have safe and dignified jobs, but also a real voice and influence in improving their working conditions throughout the company’s U.S. supply chain.
“Hyundai-Kia’s U.S. supply chain, listed in this year’s Dirty Dozen Report, has shed light on a disturbing pattern of worker injuries and safety violations. Their report exposes a broader system of carelessness that impacts all levels of the supply chain. All workers deserve to have safe and dignified jobs. Their health and safety should not be sacrificed to line the pockets of company owners. The UAW has fought alongside millions of workers to win union jobs that provide a good life for their families. We stand in solidarity with all auto manufacturing workers and believe everyone deserves a real voice on the job.” said Mike Miller, Director of the United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 6.
“No one should die for a paycheck,” said Valerie Lizarraga, Western States Assistant Director at Jobs to Move America, a member of the Recall Injustice at Hyundai-Kia coalition. “Hyundai-Kia U.S. supply chain’s inclusion on the Dirty Dozen list reflects serious concerns about the conditions workers are facing across its operations and supply chain. These are not isolated incidents; they point to systemic failures that demand accountability.”
“As advocates, we stand alongside workers whose voices are too often ignored. We stand in solidarity with immigrant workers and their families, many of whom face unsafe labor conditions and exploitation. We support all workers on the frontlines who are organizing for dignity, demanding accountability, and calling on corporations like Hyundai to do better,” Jenny Miron, an organizer with the Georgia-based organization, Migrant Equity Southeast.
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About Jobs to Move America
Jobs to Move America (JMA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that conducts rigorous, independent research to develop the ideas, practices, and policies necessary to build a just new economy. For more than a decade, federal, state, and local policymakers have relied on JMA’s research to inform their decision-making at the intersection of public procurement and emerging industries. JMA has recently produced leading insights into industries such as electric school bus manufacturing, microchip manufacturing, and lithium extraction.
About Recall Injustice at Hyundai-Kia
We are a coalition of community organizations, research and policy groups, workers, faith leaders, environmentalists, unions, and labor councils committed to environmental, racial, economic justice, and workplace democracy. Our coalition believes that companies can and should partner with their neighbors to address problems and care for their shared communities.
About Good Neighbors Alabama
Good Neighbors Alabama brings together labor groups, advocacy organizations, and community partners who want more accountability for the big manufacturing companies in our state.