Delta Air’s Cabin crew can no longer wear own attire at work
Following a catastrophic uniform incident in which nearly half of the Atlanta-based airline’s crew swapped out the official uniform for off-the-rack options, cabin attendants at Delta Airlines can no longer wear their own attire at work.
Flight attendants were not permitted to wear the ‘black and white’ uniform under any circumstances since, May 2. However, several flight attendants remain concerned that the core cause of the health issues has not been thoroughly identified.
Delta debuted a new Zac Posen-designed uniform in 2018, however after weeks of its introduction, several frontline employees began to experience major adverse responses to the garments.
Rashes, welts, hives, dizziness, confusion, breathing difficulties, and even hair loss have been reported as side effects of the outfit.
Health issues, according to campaigners, may be linked to chemicals used in the uniform’s manufacturing process, including particular treatments that make the uniform stain-resistant and less prone to wrinkling.
Independent laboratory testing of sample uniform pieces has failed to adequately back up such allegations, but as the problems became more pervasive, Delta Air offered employees the choice to forego the uniform and come to work dressed in their own clothes.
The six-week exemption was supposed to be temporary.
For nearly five years, though, a rising number of Delta Air’s employees have been donning off-the-rack alternatives to the official uniform: black pants or skirts, a white shirt or blouse, and a black sweater or cardigan.
Delta Air intoduces alternate uniform made with
Oeko-Tex 100 certified material
Flight attendants must wear one of the official uniform options or face unpaid leave.
Some flight attendants are concerned that the new uniform would not solve their issues, and the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) argues that the rule will cause widespread disruption since “hundreds” of crew members will be compelled to take unpaid vacation.
The union, which does not formally represent Delta flight attendants, is using the poisonous uniform issue as yet more incentive for the airline’s crew members to join together.
Toxic uniform incidents have affected operations at American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Southwest Airlines in recent years. American Airlines launched a new uniform using Oeko-Tex standard 100 fabric in March 2020, which resulted in a significant reduction in uniform-related health concerns.
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