A pair of flight attendants has accused Frontier Airlines of discrimination.
According to CBS and the Associated Press, veteran flight attendants Jo Roby and Stacy Rewitzer filed complaints with the Denver-based low-cost carrier claiming they weren't allowed to pump breast milk on flights.
Roby and Rewitzer also say the airline forces new mothers to combine sick days and vacation days in order to properly care for their children since Frontier has no parental leave policy.
The documents filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) show both women have worked for the airline for more than 10 years.
"As a result of Frontier's actions, I have had to choose between performing my job and earning a living on the one hand, and continuing to breastfeed my child on the other," Roby's complaint states.
However, the airline countered that its policies are in full compliance with state and federal laws as well as the flight attendants' union contract.
"We have made good-faith efforts to identify and provide rooms and other secure locations for use by breastfeeding flight attendants during their duty travel," Frontier said in a statement via CBS.
The women want Frontier to be required to provide suitable places for them to pump on flights and in airports. They also believe they should be able to work on the ground temporarily so they wouldn't have to take leaves prior to delivery.
The protest comes just one year after four pilots accused Frontier of not working hard enough to help pregnant and nursing employees.
Galen Sherwin, senior staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union's Women's Rights Project, told CBS that the EEOC is still looking into the pilots' complaints.
[READMORE] READ MORE: Why The BABES Act is Great For Travel [/READMORE]
Breastfeeding and the airline industry haven't mixed well and it's clear the latter has major improvements to make.
Last year, a woman called out United Airlines after she was allegedly shamed for breastfeeding on a flight.
Similarly troubling incidents have involved nursing mothers breastfeeding in janitor closets and pet relief rooms at airports.
Positive steps have been taken, however, including the Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening (BABES) Act signed by former President Barack Obama last year and the installation of comfortable nursing stations at some airports.
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