Delta Flight Attendants Say New Uniforms Always Cause Rashes After One Year

Delta's flight attendants complain about the airline's new set of uniforms, which still cause skin rashes and worsening of the skin almost a year after they are put into service by the airline.

And while the airline says it is fixing the problem, some flight attendants say they fear reprisals for filing a complaint.

Last May, Delta unveiled a new set of plain purple uniforms designed by Bravo's Project Runway star, Zac Posen, and manufactured by Land's End retailer.

The uniforms were designed to turn Delta's 24,000 flight attendants into endless commercials for the airline. Delta has encouraged flight attendants to promote new uniforms on their social networking accounts.

Shortly after their introduction, some women flight attendants stated that they had begun to get sick, signaling rashes, shortness of breath and hair loss.

"I immediately noticed, after putting on my uniforms, that I was short of breath and that I was running all my life," said an air hostess from Delta, who spoke to Guardian under the guise of anonymity for fear of reprisals. "I do not smoke or anything, so when I can not climb the stairs without being extremely out of breath, I know there is a problem."

Another flight attendant said that she had noticed huge rashes all over her body that prevented her from sleeping.

"I do not even want to call them rashes because it's worse than that. Some look like chemical burns, others look like chemical stings, but they do not go away for weeks, "she said. "I had a huge infected patch and I had to take an antibiotic even to get rid of it."

On a private Facebook group used by more than 2,000 flight attendants consulted by the Guardian, hundreds of flight attendants have complained of health problems due to the wearing of new uniforms.

The Guardian has met with dozens of flight attendants who have experienced similar problems, all of whom have refused to speak out for fear of reprisals from the non-union airline.

The health problems badociated with the uniforms are serious enough that some doctors have asked Delta flight attendants to bring EpiPens to work in case it breaks out.

"The image is one of the five metrics on which customers value us and contribute to our overall profile as employees," said an airline hostess. "As a predominantly female workforce, it seems that our overall appearance takes precedence over our health."

Although no definitive scientific badysis has determined the cause of the rashes, many doctors told flight attendants that the chemical finish with formaldehyde and teflon, coated with uniforms for stain resistant and durable, was probably the cause.

In a statement, a spokesman for Delta said, "Since we started redefining the uniform three years ago, we have been intentional to ensure employee input and transparency at every step of the way. . We want our employees to be able to wear new clothes safely. "

According to Delta, less than 1% of employees in the new uniform program reported problems, but refused to give accurate numbers. The company stated that it "works directly with employees to find solutions that meet their individual needs." He added that an untreated uniform would be available in June.

In a statement, Lands' End said: "We take every problem seriously and we work closely with Delta to find a solution that allows the employee to have a uniform that is both comfortable and functional."

This is not the first time that flight attendants claim that uniforms make them sick. In 2012, Alaska Airlines flight attendants began to suffer health problems after the company introduced new uniforms. In 2016, flight attendants American Eagle, a subsidiary of American Airlines, also began to experience problems after the introduction of new uniforms.

A study conducted in 2018 by the Harvard Independent Flight Attendant Health Study Group of more than 600 flight attendants found skin, breathing, insomnia and other problems Alaska Airlines flight attendants had increased significantly in 2011. The study found that the problems only decreased three years later, in 2014, after the Alaska Airlines union demanded the introduction of new aircrafts. uniforms.

Dr. Irina Mordukhovich of the Harvard group said Delta had refused to let the group come and study its problem. She said she saw a parallel with how Alaska Airlines and American Eagle responded for the first time to concerns over uniforms.

"Airlines still deny that there is a problem," said Mordukhovich. "Airlines have a very high risk aversion to health research studies. They do not tend to cooperate. "

Unlike Alaska Airlines and American Eagle flight attendants, Delta flight attendants do not have a union and Delta has been fighting to oppose attempts to get them off the road. Organized by the staff. As a result, many Delta flight attendants have said they are afraid to speak publicly about the uniform problem, for fear of being expelled from the company.

Delta initially allowed some flight attendants to wear the old black and white uniforms while they were studying the problem. However, in March, Delta informed some flight attendants that, if they did not wish to wear new uniforms, they would have to apply for an employment improvement measure for people with disabilities with the option of short-term disability insurance. duration.

Under the short-term disability insurance, Delta's flight attendants pay only two-thirds of their salary and would be obliged, after one year, to return to work or quit their job.

For many flight attendants, to admit that they have a problem makes them fear being expelled.

"Everyone is afraid to talk and report their reactions because we are" at will " [employees]: we can be let go when they want it, basically, "said a flight attendant. "Literally, we are all afraid for our health, and literally nothing has been done, and [Delta’s] management says their uniform is safe. "

"I made a two-day trip and I coughed and cleaned my throat all day. And my voice went last night, "wrote a Delta flight attendant in an email. "But the only way that will change is when the traveling public demands it."