Alaska Air settles with attendants over cabin fumes

Alaska Air settles with attendants over cabin fumes

Secret agreement will pay each of them $4,068

Friday, January 26, 2001

By PAUL SHUKOVSKY
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Alaska Airlines is paying $725,000 in a secret settlement of a lawsuit brought by 26 flight attendants who claimed noxious fumes in aircraft cabins made them sick.

The suit contends that oil and hydraulic fluid leaks contaminated the ventilation systems of the cabins of Alaska's MD-80 aircraft, causing potential neurological problems.

Confidential settlement documents signed in November and made available to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer show that each of the flight attendants will get $4,068. In addition, the airline will not seek reimbursement of $195,000 in workers compensation funds paid to the attendants.

According to the agreement, the airline will also pay $292,000 in legal fees, of which $48,000 will go to the Association of Flight Attendants to reimburse the union for its costs related to the suit. A portion of the $292,000 will go toward the cost of continuing to press the suit against two defendants which have not settled: Boeing, as the new owner of McDonnell Douglas, and the manufacturer of a part implicated in the alleged problem.

Alaska admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement documents. And the flight attendants agreed to drop any further workers compensation claims.

In an internal letter last fall, the flight attendants praised the airline's "serious and constructive efforts" to address cabin contamination concerns:

"... Alaska Airlines has never harbored a deliberate intention to cause intentional injury, nor willfully disregarded evidence of certain injury, to its flight attendants. To the contrary, Alaska Airlines has carefully examined flight attendant reports and actively undertaken measures to improve workplace safety."

Randolph Gordon, attorney for the plaintiffs, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Alaska spokesman Jack Walsh confirmed that the suit had been settled but would not discuss the terms of the agreement.

In a Nov. 27 letter to Alaska employees, Ed White, vice president for customer service, cited a number of cabin air safety improvements. They include:

Reinforced hydraulic lines to prevent leaks into ventilation systems.

Use of a new oil that does not contain a controversial compound.

Establishment of a new employee post dedicated to cabin safety and health.

Creation of maintenance work cards dealing specifically with cabin environment issues.

P-I reporter Paul Shukovsky can be reached at 206-448-8072 or paulshukovsky@seattle-pi.com