Leaders in Tallapoosa County have called on a Hyundai supplier to apologize after federal officials accused the plant of employing children at its Alexander City plant, AL.com reported.
In August, the U.S. Department of Labor accused SL Alabama of hiring workers under age 16 at its Alexander City factory. The six-page complaint gave no specifics regarding the charge.
At the time, the lawsuit was accompanied by a proposed settlement. A lawyer for the company signed the consent decree which stated that the company agreed not to hire underage workers, to verify the ages of workers hired through a staffing agency, and to fire or discipline any managers aware of the use of underage workers.
Alexander City leaders, including Mayor Woody Baird, along with the Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance (LMAEDA), released a statement saying the allegations are “egregious and unconscionable and demonstrate an utter disregard for the good faith support of all entities who worked to bring SL Alabama to the Lake Martin area.”
“The violations outlined in the complaint filed by U.S. Department of Labor in Federal District Court, August 22, 2022, admitted by SL Alabama, are violations of the trust and expectations the community put into the company when the Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance (LMAEDA) recruited SL to locate to our area,” Baird stated. “The City of Alexander City, along with the (LMAEDA), are working to make sure that the infractions are acknowledged, corrected and a strongly worded apology issued for the shame and embarrassment their actions have caused the City of Alexander City and the area.”
Baird said in an interview that area leaders “had no idea” about the allegations before the federal complaint, but they felt a combined statement was needed.
“We needed to formulate a combined statement so that we could show that we’re together on this,” Baird stated.
This is the second allegation of child labor against a Hyundai supplier in recent months. Reuters reported that children as young as 12 have been recently employed at SMART Alabama in Luverne.
In a statement to Reuters, Hyundai said it, “does not tolerate illegal employment practices at any Hyundai entity. We have policies and procedures in place that require compliance with all local, state and federal laws.”
SL Alabama was established in 2003 and is a large manufacturer of headlights, rear combination lights, and side mirrors for large automobile manufacturing companies such as Hyundai and Kia.
The company employs around 650 people, which makes it the largest employer in Alexander City.
