Hyundai and Kia Sued in California for Use of Prison Labor in Southern States
Progressive non-profit Jobs to Move America (JMA) is suing carmakers Hyundai and Kia over unethical labor practices, including the use of prison labor and child labor.
On November 13, 2025, JMA announced its lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, allegeding a “pattern of abuse and deception” practiced by the companies in relying on auto suppliers in the South that exploit “forced prison labor, workers subjected to human trafficking, and children as young as 13-years-old.”
JMA claims that the California-based companies are in violation of the state’s unfair competition laws as well as falsely marketing themselves as socially responsible in order to secure public contracts.
In addition to seeking a judgment that Hyundai and Kia are in violation of California law, the lawsuit aims to prompt a court order for an independent audit of their supply chains in Alabama and Georgia. “No company should be rewarded with public contracts while violating public values,” said Madeline Janis, JMA’s executive director, in a statement.
The lawsuit arrived a day after the release of a study that showed Hyundai’s use of prison labor in Alabama has driven down wages of non-incarcerated auto workers by as much as 14%. The report—conducted by researchers from Columbia University’s Labor Lab with support from JMA—also highlighted an increased rate of safety hazards for prisoners who are paid for their work. According to state records, roughly 13% of Hyundai plant workers are in the state’s prison work release program. Based on a survey of around 600 workers, researchers attributed their findings to “the fact that incarcerated workers are far less likely to quit over low pay due to coercive prison conditions, which gives employers leverage to lower wages and working conditions for all their employees.”
Prison Legal News will continue to follow this story and report on any future updates.
Sources: AL.com; “The Impact of Incarcerated Labor in Hyundai’s U.S. Supply Chain,” by Suresh Naidu, et. al.; The Los Angeles Times
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