AFA Notifies American Airlines Group, Twin Hill of Intent to Sue over Uniforms
March 23, 2018 — Flight Attendants at Envoy, PSA, and Piedmont, along with mainline American Flight Attendants, have suffered for over a year due to toxic uniforms. AFA members have reported symptoms associated with wearing the new uniforms including rash/irritated skin, eye irritation, breathing problems, and headaches. These symptoms mirror the types of symptoms reported by our sisters and brothers who are wearing these uniforms at mainline American. AFA has repeatedly encouraged American to remove the toxic uniforms from the property with a temporary replacement. While the airline has chosen a new future vendor, it will be years before the new uniform fully replaces the toxic uniforms.
Today, AFA has sent notification American Airlines Group, Envoy, Piedmont, PSA, Twin Hill and more of our intent to sue due to continued violations of California’s Proposition 65, officially known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. Specifically, the entities have violated and continue to violate the warning requirement which states, “No person in the course of doing business shall knowingly and intentionally expose any individual to a chemical known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity without first giving clear and reasonable warning to such individual...."
AFA's testing found formaldehyde in several uniform items. Formaldehyde (gas) is released from the garments continuously when they are worn and used in the intended manner over the life and use of the garment. The primary route of exposure for the violations is inhalation while Flight Attendants are wearing the garments. These exposures occur in homes, cars, airports, airplanes and workplaces throughout California where the products are used. No clear and reasonable warning is provided with these products or in the workplace regarding the carcinogenic hazards of wearing the items or specifically of formaldehyde.
American, Twin Hill and the others named have 60 days to take action on the issue or face a lawsuit.
