HUNDREDS of Delta workers have filed lawsuits against the maker of their uniforms which they say are causing serious medical problems.
The lawsuits allege the uniforms, made by Lands' End, have caused Delta workers to break out in skin rashes, suffer hair loss, low white blood cell counts, migraines, cause breathing difficulties and other medical problems.
The first lawsuit against the Atlanta-based airline was filed in October with a second on Tuesday in federal court in Madison, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
Lands' End is based in Dodgeville, a small town about 120 miles west of Milwaukee.
The lawsuits claim the uniforms, created by fashion designer Zac Posen and unveiled in May 2018, have caused numerous medical problems, including nosebleeds.
They claim Lands' End was negligent in issuing the uniforms and failing to recall them once problems were reported.
The lawsuits claim the chemicals and finishes used to create high-stretch, wrinkle- and stain-resistant, waterproof, anti-static and deodorising garments for the uniforms led to employees' health problems.
More than 500 current or former employees are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed on Tuesday. Most of them are flight attendants.
The October lawsuit was brought on behalf of any flight attendants, customer service agents, ramp agents or anyone else required to wear the Passport Plum uniforms.
The outfits were the first revamp of the airline's attire since 2000.
Delta has around 64,000 uniformed workers worldwide.
Lands' End spokeswoman Tricia Dudley declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation.
UNIFORM COMPLAINTS
The lawsuits are not the first relating to the new uniforms.
In May, another group of flight attendants reported respiratory issues, skin lesions, fatigue, migraines and hair loss.
In one case, an employee made an appointment with a dermatologist after suffering a breakout of acne.
She claimed the dermatologist told her the spots looked like they were the result of a toxin exposure.
She told the Business Insider: "'I said to him, 'No, I'm exposed to so many different people from different places and sleep in different hotels around the country. I bet I caught something.'
"And he told me 'no, it looked like it must be the uniform'."
Another employee said she began having migraines and suffered from extreme fatigue.
She said: "It just continued to worsen, to the point where I was having to call in sick."
A third worker complained of "respiratory issues, a runny nose, an extremely dry cough in the back of the throat."
At that time, Delta said "although Delta and Lands' End conducted in-depth testing during every step of development, a small number of employees have reported skin irritations."
A spokesperson added: "Our top priority continues to be the safety of our employees, which is why we invested in a rigorous toxicology study to determine if there was a universal scientific issue with the uniform.
"The results of the study confirm our uniforms meet the highest textile standards — OEKO-TEX — with the exception of the optional flight attendant apron, which we removed from the collection."
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