MIAMI-Delta Air Lines will redesign its uniforms after employees filed a lawsuit complaining about allergies to the new purple clothing, and thousands of flight attendants and customer service agents chose to wear their own clothes to work.
A year and a half ago, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines spent millions of dollars to launch a new “Passport Plum” color uniform designed by Zac Posen. But since then, people have been complaining about rashes, skin reactions, and other symptoms. The lawsuit claims that these symptoms are caused by chemicals used to make waterproof, anti-wrinkle and anti-fouling, anti-static and high-stretch clothing.
Delta Air Lines has approximately 25,000 flight attendants and 12,000 airport customer service agents. Ekrem Dimbiloglu, director of uniforms at Delta Air Lines, said the number of employees who chose to wear their own black and white clothing instead of uniforms “has increased to thousands.”
In late November, Delta Air Lines simplified the process of allowing employees to wear black and white clothing. Employees don’t need to report work injury procedures through the airline’s claims administrator, just notify the company that they want to change outfits.
“We believe that uniforms are safe, but obviously there is a group of people who are not safe,” Dimbiloglu said. “It is unacceptable for some employees to wear black and white personal clothing and another group of employees to wear uniforms.”
Delta’s goal is to transform its uniforms by December 2021, which will cost millions of dollars. “This is not a cheap effort,” Dimbiloglu said, “but to prepare the employees.”
During this period, Delta Air Lines hopes to change the black and white clothing of some employees by providing alternative uniforms. This includes allowing these flight attendants to wear dresses made of different materials, which are now only worn by airport staff, or white cotton shirts. The company will also produce grey flight attendant uniforms for women-the same color as male uniforms-without chemical treatment.
The unified transformation does not apply to Delta’s baggage porters and other employees working on the tarmac. Dimbiloglu said that those “lower-level” employees also have new uniforms, but with different fabrics and tailoring, “there are no major problems.”
Delta Air Lines employees have filed multiple lawsuits against uniform manufacturer Lands’ End. Plaintiffs seeking class action status said chemical additives and finishes caused a reaction.
Delta Air Lines flight attendants and customer service agents did not join the union, but the flight attendants association union emphasized a unified complaint when it launched a campaign to use United Airlines flight attendants. The union said in December that it would test uniforms.
The union stated that some flight attendants affected by this issue “have lost their wages and are bearing increasing medical expenses”.
Although the airline spent three years developing a new uniform series, which included allergen testing, adjustments before debut, and the development of alternative uniforms with natural fabrics, problems with skin irritation and other reactions still emerged.
Dimbiloglu said that Delta now has dermatologists, allergists and toxicologists specializing in textile chemistry to help select and test fabrics.
Delta Air Lines “continues to have full confidence in Lands’ End,” Dimbiloglu said, adding that “to date, they have been our good partners.” However, he said, “We will listen to our employees.”
He said that the company will conduct employee surveys and will hold focus group meetings nationwide to solicit employees’ opinions on how to redesign uniforms.
The flight attendant association union “praised a step in the right direction” but said it was “eighteen months late.” The union also recommends removing the uniform that caused the reaction as soon as possible, and recommends that employees whose health problems are diagnosed by a doctor should not be contacted, while retaining wages and benefits.
Post time: May-31-2021