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Well, this just keeps getting more and more interesting. I posted at the end of December about a number of rumors about what the future will be for the Delta “Passport Plum” uniforms that have been negatively affecting so many hard-working Delta Flight Attendants (mostly women but reportedly also men who wear the purple sweaters).
As a point of fact, I have still not had any response from Delta Corporate communications folks about this mega issue and what they are going to do.
For now, as many Delta Flight Attendants commented on the post, the alternative choice is an all-black outfit with a white shirt (see above from LAX last weekend) or to wear the men’s uniforms. I wanted to speak the FA above but did not have time as my flight was just boarding.
All of this seems to be due to the manufacturing from Land’s End (or at least that is what the latest lawsuit contends). The older red white and blue uniforms apparently used much higher-end materials and colorants.
I feel for everyone involved in this mess – especially the fine folks who work for Delta that have been let down by so many over this. I really wish Delta had stuck with the same quality when they went with these new uniforms as the old (side note – it is my understanding that pilots have no issues and they pay for their own uniforms – while flight attendants are reimbursed for their uniforms – I am sure I will be corrected in the comments below if that is not spot-on).
I have no doubt that the longer this drags on and the larger the problem becomes it will have a big impact on the AFA union vote. One flight attendant with whom I spoke during my 10 flights this past weekend said the vote is 50-50 split right now. This issue may be the tipping point! – René
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Oh brother…..it takes a lawsuit to voice your complaint. Probably most the issues chafing etc. come from many not ordering the correct size see many wearing sizes too small and tight. They probably don’t like purple (I’m not the biggest fan of it), and I am sure Delta does employee surveys and feedback should voice your concerns there it would probably take them some time to produce new styles etc. The people who filed the lawsuit probably got help from the unions and probably a ploy from union supporters to go union. The worst thing Delta could do is go employee union will bring down the overwork moral and the employees that work hard will no longer go the extra step as no need, why work harder than your crappy lazy pro-union counterpart seen it to many times.
While I often detest unions for sucking a company dry, looking out for the worst and encouraging bad performance, and feel the same way about lawyers and the legal system, the complaint does have merit. I myself know how it feels to have sensitivity to certain smells and be very uncomfortable with certain fabrics. Nowadays most fabrics have coatings put on them for anti-wrinkle, fire retardant and anti stain properties which someone can be allergic to. Delta should allow those affected wear their own clothing (white shirt, black slacks or skirt) until they are provided with a uniform that doesn’t cause skin irritations. It’s not just a handful but a lot of flight attendants who complained about the issue.
DL should just spend a little more of the billions of dollars of profit to provide better quality uniforms. Then there is no issue, employees can be productive and the union can’t own the narrative. Oh wait, but that would take pennies away from the institutional shareholders. Guess we can’t do that.
1) Over 6,000 of the 25,000 Delta flight attendants are having serious health issues from the toxic chemicals and heavy metals that are in the cheaply produced “poisonous purple” uniforms. The uniforms have tested positive for arsenic, antimony, chromium, mercury, formaldehyde, florine and bromine. It’s public record if you want to be informed you can read the lawsuit.
2) The issues include memory loss, dizziness, fatigue, pulmonary issues, scarring on the lungs, increased blood pressure, thyroid issues, hair loss, migraines, tumors, painful joints, chronic sinus and urinary tract infection symptoms without an infection, chemical burns where the uniform touches skin, AFIB (irregular heartbeat rate), abnormal periods, cysts, blurry vision and more.
3) Only 500 brave flight attendants added their names to the lawsuit because the thousands of other employees are afraid of retaliation from Delta Airlines. Delta is a Right to Work company with headquarters in a very employee unfriendly state. Delta flight attendants and ground personnel are not legally protected if management decides to fire them for filing suit or organizing a union vote. The individual employees will have to personally sue Delta to get their jobs back if they are unfairly fired.