Don’t Force Migrant Children to Work in Production Lines

Target: US Labor Secretary, Martin Walsh

Goal: Stop Hyundai and other US factories from allegedly using child labor.

It has recently come to light that a Hyundai factory in Luverne, Alabama has allegedly employed up to 50 minors to work in their auto parts plant, some have been as young as 12 or 13 years old, according to Reuters who broke the story in late July. The Reuters report has been corroborated by current and former employees, family members of the underage workers, as well as police in the area.

Many of the children allegedly working at the factory were undocumented migrants from South and Central America without authorization to work. Often migrants living in the US without work authorization must work in exploitive situations because of their lack of authorization and legal protections. Sadly, this can often include children who are not only forced by circumstance to enter exploitive labor situations but must also do so at the expense of their education.

The Reuters report states the auto parts plant did not hire the children directly, rather they were hired via external staffing agencies. However, while the Hyundai subsidiary was not directly involved in hiring any children, former employees of the plant explicitly stated there were individuals who were clearly children working the production lines. Reuters also reports that the Luverne auto parts plant is not the only instance of child labor violations in Alabama. A chicken processing plant in Enterprise, Alabama employed teenagers, including one who migrated from Guatemala. Sign below to call on the US Labor Secretary to protect children and ensure there are no US factories using child labor.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Secretary Walsh,

A recent Reuters report has alleged that up to 50 children have been employed at a Hyundai auto parts factory in Alabama, some of these children have been as young as 12 or 13 years old. An Alabama chicken processing plant has allegedly hired teenage laborers as well.

Many of the children employed in these US factories have been undocumented migrants from South and Central America, who do not have authorization to work in the US. Their lack of authorization and the legal protections that accompany that authorization means migrants, including children, are often forced into exploitive labor situations.

It is not only unacceptable, but reprehensible that children are being employed in the United States. You must do everything in your power to protect underage laborers and immediately stop any US factories from exploiting children in this manner.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: HyundaiAlabama


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