Frontier Airways has settled a discrimination lawsuit introduced by a bunch of flight attendants who claimed the service discriminated in opposition to them throughout being pregnant and whereas breastfeeding.
Denver-based Frontier agreed to maintain or change a number of insurance policies to deal with the wants of pregnant and lactating personnel in settling the litigation, the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, which represented the workers, introduced final week.
Of their 2019 federal lawsuit, the 4 workers alleged that Frontier pressured them to take unpaid depart for pregnancy-related absences and didn’t make it attainable for them to pump breast milk whereas working.
Frontier on the time insisted that it supplied “numerous lodging for pregnant and lactating pilots and flight attendants inside the bounds of defending public security, which is at all times our high precedence.”
Below the settlement, Frontier agreed to make clear that pregnancy-related absences should not topic to disciplinary motion, The Denver Gazette reported.
Flight attendants unable to fly due to being pregnant or lactation will probably be offered the identical lodging as these with different medical situations, together with medical depart or momentary floor obligation.
The airline additionally will hold in place a latest change permitting flight attendants to make use of wearable breast pumps throughout flight, present lactation amenities at its base areas and supply data on lactation amenities at different airports.
“Future flight attendants gained’t have to fret about how they’ll slot in pumping between flights or marvel the place they’ll have the ability to pump safely,” plaintiff Melissa Hodgkins mentioned in an announcement launched by the ACLU. “I gave up breastfeeding to supply for my household, and nobody ought to should make that selection once more.”
“We’re proud to be on the forefront of accommodating the wants of pregnant and breastfeeding moms within the airline business,” mentioned Jacalyn Peter, Frontier’s vp of labor relations.
Two lawsuits initially had been filed in 2019 by a New York regulation agency, the American Civil Liberties Union Basis of Colorado and the Ladies’s Rights Venture of the ACLU Basis.
Attorneys filed two lawsuits as a result of Frontier’s insurance policies for flight attendants and pilots had been totally different, in keeping with the ACLU. The litigation involving the 4 feminine pilots continues in federal court docket in Denver.
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