On Sept. 20, Fort Worth-based American Airlines unveiled a project three years in the making: redesigned uniforms for all of its frontline employees. Not long after that, flight attendants began to report itchiness, rashes, headaches and breathing problems after they put on the uniforms.
About 10 percent of flight attendants have filed complaints about the symptoms but Conor Shine, an aviation reporter for the Dallas Morning News, says the cause of these symptoms remains a mystery even after tests.
“Any time you roll out a new uniform there is some level of employees who might have a reaction,” Shine says. “The company initially described it as a potential allergy to the wool or a sensitivity to the material, but the tests say that the uniforms are safe.”
What you’ll hear in this segment:
– What might be the culprit behind these symptoms
– What actions the airline is taking to address this problem
– How employees and flight attendant unions are responding to the uniform crisis
Written by Morgan O’Hanlon.
