The Association of Flight Attendants – CWA (AFA) has renewed its demand for a full recall of toxic uniforms that were made in Bangladesh, China, Indonesia and Vietnam. (See Turbulent Romance for a history of the union.)
AFA has a team of experts working with American Eagle carriers to address the issues of its members and to ensure their health comes first. AFA has uniform health reports from more than 16% of the Flight Attendant population at American’s three wholly-owned subsidiaries: Envoy, PSA and Piedmont.
In March 2017, AFA sent 14 uniform garments for independent testing. The results showed various irritants, sensitizers, and known carcinogens in the fabrics. This confirmed the uniforms can cause serious health issues and AFA pressed management to immediately and safely recall the toxic uniforms. Ultimately it appears that the toxic unforms came from various subsidiaries of Men’s Wearhouse.
The chemical tests performed on these fabrics represent a “best guess” as to what chemicals could be in the uniforms and could be causing the reported skin, eye, and respiratory symptoms.
“AFA focused on chemicals that can be measured in fabrics and for which there is at least one published fabric standard, so that AFA could have some context for understanding the test results.”
American is apparently working replacing the pilots’ uniforms.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
