Delta Air Lines flight attendants sue over uniforms they say made them sick

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.

Advertisement

This was published 4 years ago

Delta Air Lines flight attendants sue over uniforms they say made them sick

By Curtis Tate
Updated
Delta flight attendants attend Delta Air Lines' Grammys party last year. A group of flight attendants is suing over the airline's new uniforms.

Delta flight attendants attend Delta Air Lines' Grammys party last year. A group of flight attendants is suing over the airline's new uniforms. Credit: Getty Images

A new group of Delta Air Lines employees is suing clothing manufacturer Land's End over illnesses they say resulted from wearing new uniforms issued in 2018.

The lawsuit, filed on December 31 in US District Court in Wisconsin, where Land's End is based, is similar to another suit filed by two Delta flight attendants in New York in May.

The Wisconsin suit seeks class-action status on behalf of 64,000 Delta employees who were issued the uniforms, including flight attendants, airport customer service employees, ticket and gate agents, and SkyClub workers.

The lawsuits claim that wearing the uniforms caused skin rashes, headaches, fatigue and other problems.

The workers who brought the lawsuit want Land's End to recall the uniforms and initiate a health monitoring program for those affected.

Delta is not named as a defendant in the suit.

Land's End declined to comment on the lawsuit. In a statement, Delta said it invested in "a rigorous toxicology study" of the uniforms.

"The results of the study confirm our uniforms meet the highest textile standards," the company said, "with the exception of the optional flight attendant apron, which we removed from the collection."

The Wisconsin lawsuit claims Land's End added various chemicals to the uniforms to make them stretchier, wrinkle- and stain-resistant, waterproof, anti-static and deodorising.

Advertisement

The Delta employees claim that the uniforms contained amounts of chromium, mercury and formaldehyde, among other chemicals, in excess of garment-industry standards.

"These chemicals and heavy metals are known to cause significant reactions and severe personal harm," the Wisconsin suit says.

A report issued by a workplace safety watchdog in the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention last June recommended that Delta offer employees alternative uniforms.

"It is possible that textile chemicals in the uniforms or the physical irritant properties of the uniform fabrics have caused skin symptoms among Delta employees," the report concluded.

USA Today

Sign up for the Traveller newsletter

The latest travel news, tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox. Sign up now.

Most viewed on Traveller

Loading