JMA Applauds the City of Los Angeles’ Introduction of Policies to Safeguard against Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Unsafe or Unlawful Working Conditions in Public Purchasing
The City of Los Angeles introduced new legislative policies, led by Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, acknowledging the recent egregious labor practices found in the auto manufacturing industry and calling for responsible public procurement practices.
Those policies include:
- A resolution highlighting recent egregious labor abuses in the auto-manufacturing industry, including child labor, exploitative prison labor, and unsafe working conditions.
- A motion directing a review of the City’s vehicle purchasing policies to ensure they align with existing standards for strong oversight and responsible public spending so taxpayer dollars never support exploitation.
- A resolution supporting California Assembly Bill 1245, which aims to prevent goods produced through forced labor from entering California’s public purchasing system by closing gaps in existing oversight and reinforcing the state’s commitment to ethical purchasing.
These resolutions and motion build on Los Angeles’ “Sweat-Free Procurement Ordinance,” which bans purchasing goods or services made with “sweatshop” labor. This move will ensure that Los Angeles continues to be a leader in protecting and advancing workers’ rights and ethical purchasing practices.
These policies come in response to troubling labor and human rights violations in U.S. automotive manufacturing supply chains documented by Jobs to Move America in its Hidden in Plain Sight report, including violations that occurred at companies in Hyundai-Kia’s U.S. supply chain. JMA is part of a national coalition —Recall InJustice at Hyundai Kia— that calls on Hyundai-Kia to make commitments to their workers and local communities by negotiating a Community Benefits Agreement.
“We’re introducing this legislation to send a clear message: our public dollars should never support child labor, forced labor, or unsafe working conditions. As a city, we need to do everything we can to create good, safe jobs, and I want to thank Jobs to Move America for helping to expose serious abuses in the auto industry that warrant our attention,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez.
“UAW Region 6 supports the City of Los Angeles as they highlight the importance of ensuring the purchase of public vehicles does not contribute to keeping workers in dangerous conditions and putting profit over people. Aligning public purchasing with existing labor protections, closing loopholes in our supply chains, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are used responsibly is a first step. Other cities and states need to follow. Our path forward, as a labor movement and as a community, is to organize, demand accountability, and fight for workers across our region and nationally,” said Mike Miller, director of the United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 6.
“California should be a leader in modeling the prioritization of worker protections and family-sustaining jobs. When we invest our public funds in companies leading the race to the bottom, we risk undermining the progress we’ve built these past decades. LAANE fully supports bringing these resolutions forward that solidify the City of Los Angeles commitments to ensuring the purchase of public fleet vehicles do not support the exploitation of workers anywhere,” said Victor Sanchez, Executive Director at the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy.
“At the Los Angeles Black Worker Center, I fight every day to make sure Black workers and our communities have real access to good, stable, union jobs, and the dignity that comes with them. Right now, California must be more than a bystander, we have to be a line of defense for democracy and human rights as we face coordinated attacks and rising fascism across this country. Let’s be clear: our tax dollars should never fund exploitation. Not child labor. Not prison labor. Not unsafe workplaces. Not trafficked workers. Period. We have a responsibility to stand on the right side of history, and that means standing with workers, fully and unapologetically. That’s why I’m proud to support our city in passing these resolutions and pushing for a workforce that is truly just, equitable, and accountable to the people,” said Trina Traylor, Campaign & Coalition Manager at the Los Angeles Black Worker Center
Teto Héctor Huezo, Western States Director at JMA said, “We thank the LA City Council and Councilmember Hugo Soto‑Martínez for introducing resolutions that take these abuses seriously and ensure public dollars are used to protect workers and uphold our city’s values. We need the world’s biggest auto companies to build the clean electric cars of the future, but not at the expense of their workers and surrounding communities. Jobs to Move America and our allies have uncovered, through both worker surveys and analysis of public records, exploitative labor practices within companies in Hyundai-Kia’s U.S. supply chain.”
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