This week, American Airlines and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, jointly tested their new uniforms to determine if the clothing has been responsible for the reactions that have triggered more than 1,600 health complaints by cabin crews. While the airline has offered uniforms made of alternative materials, the union doesn’t believe the airline’s offer goes far enough. People are unwell.
The union says that flight attendants have reported headaches, rashes, hives, burning skin, eye irritation, itching, and respiratory problems, “We feel a remedy that excludes a full recall of the uniform fails to adequately protect our members,” they said in a statement.
From the article:
“AN AMERICAN AIRLINES SPOKESMAN SAID THE DALLAS-BASED CARRIER HAS FINISHED ITS THIRD ROUND OF LAB EVALUATIONS AND HAS OFFERED ITS EMPLOYEES DERMATOLOGICAL TESTING TO HELP ESTABLISH WHAT MIGHT BE CAUSING THE REACTIONS.
“WE KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE HAVING REACTIONS AND WE’RE LOOKING INTO WHY,” THE SPOKESMAN SAID, BUT SAID IT WAS NOT YET READY TO ISSUE A RECALL. “WE HAVE NO DOUBT THE UNIFORMS ARE SAFE.”
(I hope the employees sue you when they find out they’re anything but safe.)
The airline, which merged with U.S. Airways in 2013, saw the uniform overhaul in September, and problems began soon after.
However, the union believes the real issue lies with the manufacturer and they have been at the center of airline staff complaints before; Twin Hill had similar complaints from Alaska Airlines in 2011 (they recalled the uniforms for flight attendants by 2014):
“IN 2012, 164 ALASKA AIRLINES FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, SEPARATELY FROM THEIR UNION, FILED A CLASS-ACTION SUIT AGAINST TWIN HILL CLAIMING ITS UNIFORMS CAUSED ALLERGIC REACTIONS AS A RESULT OF A CHEMICAL CALLED DISPERSE ORANGE 37/76. IN OCTOBER, TWIN HILL WON A COURT VERDICT THAT REJECTED THOSE CLAIMS.”
Hmmmm…maybe they shouldn’t have won? After all, it’s the same issue.
We will update you as additional information becomes available.
Source: CNN
