The report cites 12 worker deaths, child labor findings at nine Alabama facilities, and wages running 10-15% below industry peers
by SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
MONTGOMERY — The Hyundai-Kia U.S. Supply Chain — which includes several facilities in Alabama — has been named to the 2026 “Dirty Dozen” list of the nation’s most dangerous employers, released April 22 by the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) during Workers’ Memorial Week.
The annual report identifies companies with documented histories of safety violations, worker deaths, and labor exploitation. This year’s Hyundai-Kia listing cites 12 worker deaths across supply chain companies from 2015 to 2025, findings that at least nine Alabama facilities supplying parts to the automakers illegally employed children between 2020 and 2022, and wages that run 10 to 15 percent below those of other auto supply chain workers in the state — a gap the report ties in part to the use of incarcerated labor.
Workers spoke directly about conditions on the job. Kissy Cox, an auto manufacturing worker at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Company, said: “I reported my injuries, but I was still required to work in pain for months before getting proper medical attention. 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 anonymous supply chain worker employed through a subcontractor added: “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.”
“Every year, we honor workers who have lost their lives on the job, and every year, we see the same pattern: companies prioritizing profit over people,” said Jessica E. Martinez, executive director of National COSH. “The Dirty Dozen 2026 makes clear that these tragedies are not accidents — they are the result of choices.”
A Hyundai spokesperson told the Alabama Reflector that the company employs 4,500 people directly in Alabama and supports an additional 18,000 jobs, generating more than $2.4 billion in private disposable income annually. The company pointed to its Supplier Code of Conduct, which prohibits child labor and workplace safety violations.
The report notes that federal workplace safety penalties dropped nearly 45 percent in 2025, raising alarm that declining enforcement is allowing preventable deaths and injuries to continue.
Sources: Alabama Reflector (April 24, 2026); National COSH Dirty Dozen 2026 report (nationalcosh.org); CarBuzz; ISHN