American Airlines drops maker of uniforms after employee health complaints

June 22 (UPI) -- American Airlines announced it will seek a new vendor for its uniforms after numerous complaints by employees.

In a statement Wednesday, American Airlines Group Inc. said the company will not renew its contract with clothing manufacturer Twin Hill, a division of Tailored Brands Inc. when the contract expires in 2020. Twin Hill maintains its uniforms for flight crews and customer service agents are safe; the airline has received 3,500 complaints regarding fatigue, skin rashes, headaches and other adverse reactions since Twin Hill began outfitting the employees in September.

The manufacturer accepted the decision to end of the contract but not the blame for causing ailments among American Airlines employees. It said in a statement, "Twin Hill has determined that the reputational risk, management distraction, and legal and other costs associated with serving American in the future would be unacceptable to our business, given the likelihood of continued unfounded allegations about the safety of our garments."

Finding a new supplier and producing enough garments will be a two-to-three year undertaking, the airline said, adding that the Association of Professional Flight Attendants will be involved in the process.

"We're pleased that American Airlines has announced today that it will begin the process of ordering and delivering new uniforms for flight attendants and other American employees. This isn't the first time, and it won't be the last time, that effective and determined advocacy by APFA members has led to improvements in working conditions for all of our members," APFA President Bob Ross said in a statement.