http://finance.yahoo.com/m/501fd213-140 ... union.html

Awesome ... and where were the sickening uniforms manufactured?

Are the FA's the only work group complaining about their new uniforms?

Sooner787 wrote:

Are the FA's the only work group complaining about their new uniforms?

The pilots find the lack of quality funny but really couldn't care less.

these uniforms really do look classy, but I am sure American went with the cheapest vendor they could find. Thus the problem (and the same supplier provided uniforms at other airlines, including Alaska, which had the same kind of issues).

Interesting problem, though. The FAs report "rashes, headaches, hives and respiratory problems"; while management says the uniforms have passed all toxicology tests.

masseybrown wrote:

Interesting problem, though. The FAs report "rashes, headaches, hives and respiratory problems"; while management says the uniforms have passed all toxicology tests.

I would suggest that management be issued the same uniforms and be required to wear them every day for a month or two. They're sharp-looking uniforms, and if there really is no problem with the uniforms, then there will be no problem after management wears them for a while.

Sooner787 wrote:

Are the FA's the only work group complaining about their new uniforms?

Passenger service are also having issues, most of it has to do with wool allergies and the dyes used

Oh boy. If some FAs would care as much about providing good service as they do their uniforms, flying AA would be a better place.

The percentage of people that are complaining about the uniforms causing issues is very small. All cotton uniforms have been offered the entire time for those with wool allergies and none of the 70+ passenger service agents I see/supervise on a weekly basis have complained about any rashes, headaches, etc.

alasizon wrote:

The percentage of people that are complaining about the uniforms causing issues is very small. All cotton uniforms have been offered the entire time for those with wool allergies and none of the 70+ passenger service agents I see/supervise on a weekly basis have complained about any rashes, headaches, etc.

Yep, this is just APFA being a bunch of whiny drama queens as usual...

usflyer msp wrote:

alasizon wrote:

The percentage of people that are complaining about the uniforms causing issues is very small. All cotton uniforms have been offered the entire time for those with wool allergies and none of the 70+ passenger service agents I see/supervise on a weekly basis have complained about any rashes, headaches, etc.

Yep, this is just APFA being a bunch of whiny drama queens as usual...

4 years ago Alaska Airlines got new uniforms from the same manufacturer and flight attendants complained of the same problems. I would not be so quick to blame the union. A chemical called tributyl phosphate used in manufacturing was blamed.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/0 ... 78660.html

Quote.

The outfits, made by uniform maker TwinHill, may be contaminated with tributyl phosphate, King5 reports, citing union sources. The chemical is a toxic solvent that’s used in synthetic textile manufacturing.

alasizon wrote:

The percentage of people that are complaining about the uniforms causing issues is very small. All cotton uniforms have been offered the entire time for those with wool allergies and none of the 70+ passenger service agents I see/supervise on a weekly basis have complained about any rashes, headaches, etc.

Regardless of the percentage, 1600 people reporting symptoms with a common cause should not be ignored. They're required to wear the uniform in order to work, so the uniform should be safe.

StrandedAtMKG wrote:

alasizon wrote:

The percentage of people that are complaining about the uniforms causing issues is very small. All cotton uniforms have been offered the entire time for those with wool allergies and none of the 70+ passenger service agents I see/supervise on a weekly basis have complained about any rashes, headaches, etc.

Regardless of the percentage, 1600 people reporting symptoms with a common cause should not be ignored. They're required to wear the uniform in order to work, so the uniform should be safe.

In no way is it being ignored (in fact another memo was sent out today reiterating that it is being looked into) but so far all three tests of over 200 items has come back negative for any issues. I really don't know what the issue is but my guess is that the majority of those reporting issues are mostly due to the fact the uniforms are wool rather than a cotton/poly blend.

Varsity1 wrote:

Sooner787 wrote:

Are the FA's the only work group complaining about their new uniforms?

The pilots find the lack of quality funny but really couldn't care less.

Pilots have different duties that require them to sit mostly stationary in a seat for a long period of time. FA's are always on the move. I am sure you can see why this might explain different responses.

MSPNWA wrote:

Oh boy. If some FAs would care as much about providing good service as they do their uniforms, flying AA would be a better place.

I realize that you may not know this, but AS FA's experienced the same issues with uniforms manufactured and distributed by the same company. While you may not have intended to, you have very much belittled some very real experiences that go far beyond "caring about providing good service". It's hard to provide good service when you have chemical burns and rashes and your hair is falling out.

There will be no Recall .. Bob(trump)Ross needs to spend more time trying to merge the two groups instead of wasting time with something that will just never happen .The uniforms are here to stay . The only thing that needs to be recalled is Bob Ross himself ..incompetent ..

superjeff wrote:

these uniforms really do look classy, but I am sure American went with the cheapest vendor they could find. Thus the problem (and the same supplier provided uniforms at other airlines, including Alaska, which had the same kind of issues).

You are absolutely correct. I like the look of it very much and I haven't had any reactions, but the fabric is noticeably itchy on my legs. There is no doubt in my mind that the goal was to find the cheapest uniform possible yet make youth and fashion the image statement. Not sure that's possible.

AA flight into LAS this morning required paramedics at the gate because of a uniform issue.

etops1 wrote:

There will be no Recall .. Bob(trump)Ross needs to spend more time trying to merge the two groups instead of wasting time with something that will just never happen .The uniforms are here to stay . The only thing that needs to be recalled is Bob Ross himself ..incompetent ..

While I respect your opinion, I think you're wrong. The story gets bigger every day.

portcolumbus wrote:

AA flight into LAS this morning required paramedics at the gate because of a uniform issue.

So, not that it matters, but here's one problem I have with this whole uniform issue. I'll preface it by saying, at my own carrier there were legitimate issues with uniform reactions. People's hair fell out. Some had serious chemical burns on their skin and others got bad rashes and hives. Some had some respiratory issues. All very likely chemical reactions to what the materials were exposed to in the factories in China. So, in no way am I belittling the issue. That said, there was also a bit of hysteria because of the issue - a number of FA's had issues that occurred that likely were not related to the uniform at all, but since others were having issues they just assumed that their issues were related to the uniform and set about telling everyone they too were experiencing sickness from the tributyl phosphate that was on the material. Nothing could confirm or deny this so they jumped on the drama train. One FA actually told me that her dog had diabetes that was caused from laying on her uniform sweater. FA's were claiming to have reactions to the jumpseat harnesses because they had contact with contaminated materials. I'm just guessing, but for every 100 issues reported, I think about 1 was actually related to the uniform. In relation to your post, my point is this, how can they know that the issue that required paramedics was uniform related? If it was something so sudden and dire that the paramedics were called, it sounds like a different issue - the uniform issues were not sudden, they were progressive. They've opened a can of worms now that is just going to get a lot worse than it actually is and AA is going to end up being backed into a corner with this whole uniform thing. I think they're going to have to change suppliers or uniforms entirely or it's just going to continue getting worse.

Hmmmm. Dunno. I wear it everyday, same uniform. No issues, the shirts are 100% cotton. Trust me, I have to iron the damn things every week. The pants (slacks) are 53% wool, the rest polyester. Not really much different than the others. I like them way better than the previous uniform, it looks and fits much better.
But people are allergic to so many things these days; peanuts, sunlight, gluten, hairspray, the list goes on. Just glad I'm not affected, but it sounds more like maybe it's a chemical in the uniform and not the material itself.

TSS wrote:

masseybrown wrote:

Interesting problem, though. The FAs report "rashes, headaches, hives and respiratory problems"; while management says the uniforms have passed all toxicology tests.

I would suggest that management be issued the same uniforms and be required to wear them every day for a month or two. They're sharp-looking uniforms, and if there really is no problem with the uniforms, then there will be no problem after management wears them for a while.

Yes, management should wear these uniforms to promote the team culture. Management should also adhere to the grooming standards inevitably required of cabin staff and others like them.

I'll bet if that were the case, the uniforms wouldn't be built at the cheapest price, at the cheapeast possible location.

Trust me, the new uniforms are sharp and quite comfortable, but I am experiencing the symptoms as well. I flew all day today and when I got to my hotel room and stripped, there was the red rash on my chest and neck, along with swollen, watery eyes. And the headaches are there too. This isn't from wool. I wear plenty of other wool clothing and never have the issue.

It's unfortunate that this is happening, but my airline ( a wholly owned by AA ) has offered suggestions if we are having the issues, i.e. - buying new pieces that resemble the new uniform with a percentage of reimbursement or switching back to the legacy US uniform that was worn before the new uniform roll-out.

Hopefully a solution is found, as I know myself and many of my coworkers were proud to put on the new style and finally feel a sense of unity amongst each other.

I love the uniform! Very comfortable and modern! I can't think of a better color combo for a uniform! (I use the normal white shirt.) The Graphite/Charcoal and Cobalt look MINT, especially in sunlight!

They're going to have to pry it from my hands if they want it.

But one of the shirts I have, strangely enough, irritates my neck after 4-5 hours of wearing it.

It all sounds so familiar after going through the same issue at AS. While the number of people affected was in the minority, they had real issues with physical symptoms caused apparently by whatever chemicals were used in the fabric manufacturing process. We were allowed to purchase similar-looking pieces off the rack and get reimbursed. A temporary uniform by a different vendor was issued after about a year and now we're waiting for a permanent solution.