American Airlines Replaces Employees' Uncomfortable Uniforms
After many employees complained their uniforms triggered a variety of illnesses including rashes and headaches, American Airlines finally gave its workers 50,000 new uniforms.
One CNN Business article explains how American Airlines team members have new uniforms manufactured by Lands’ End. The company fitted its employees for nearly 50,000 uniforms after many of them reported illnesses, rashes, and headaches.
The company is putting greater emphasis on safety and employee feedback with the new uniforms which caused many workers, ticket agents, and flight attendants. The clothes were developed with the “highest levels of safety, input and choice,” said the airline in a press release.
In 2017, American severed ties with Twin Hill because the clothes sparked over 1,600 health complaints by cabin crews. According to employees, those uniforms cause headaches, rashes and respiratory problems. Both the airline and Twin Hill said they were safe, however.
When the company chose Lands’ End to manufacture new uniforms, it ensured these were safe and doubled the number of employees from 500 to 1,000 to test them for six months and said they were produces with a stricter certification process.
This is the first time American is letting employees choose the fabric they can wear: wool-blend or synthetic. Some employees said the illnesses were caused by the type of fabric they were wearing in the previous iteration and weren’t given a choice.
“Our union representatives were involved every step of the way to ensure that this uniform reached the highest standards, right down to the thread, buttons, and zippers,” Bassani told CNN Business.
Uniforms made by Lands’ End have been causing problems for Delta Air Lines. More than 500 employee sued Lands' End because they claimed that their uniforms caused various illnesses including vocal cord dysfunction, breathing difficulties and skin blisters. Delta said the uniforms were safe but has started the process to create new uniforms within the next year.
American Airlines’ new uniforms look slightly different than the old ones, but they have new options for machine-washable scarves, slim-fit pants and improved pockets.