WASHINGTON (AP) -- Some lawmakers say U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan could be at risk because of a labor dispute at the factory that produces bulletproof vests for troops.þþCompany officials and the Pentagon, however, say there are no problems with the quality of the vests produced by Point Blank Body Armor of Oakland Park in South Florida. And the New York City Police Department, which asked for further tests of similar vests after they failed to stop some bullets, has settled its dispute with the company.þþThe dispute played out Thursday on Capitol Hill. Leaders of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees, which is trying to organize workers at the plant, have been backed by several lawmakers, including Reps. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., and Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii. Workers have been on strike since Aug. 9 trying to organize a union.þþ``This is a crisis for the soldiers and police officers who have to wear these products,'' UNITE President Bruce Raynor said.þþBut Pentagon spokesman Jack Hooper said there have been no complaints about the vests' quality, and Paul Donofrio, an executive vice president of Point Blank's parent company, DHB Industries of Carle Place, N.Y., said a Defense Department employee is at the plant watching over the manufacturing. He said the company hired experienced workers to replace the strikers.þþ``These were qualified, experienced people that we put in,'' Donofrio said. ``We're very confident as to the production quality and integrity of our products.''þþEven before the workers went on strike, the New York City Police Department ordered new tests of its bulletproof vests after some of the body armor failed to stop certain bullets, spokesman Sgt. Kevin Hayes said. But the police settled their dispute Thursday, Hayes and Donofrio said. Point Blank will replace 1,000 vests with a different model, Donofrio said.þþStill, Sam Cabral, president of the International Union of Police Associations, said the union was advising its 100,000 members to avoid buying the vests. ``There's just no room for mistakes in our profession,'' Cabral said.þþAbercrombie, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the quality of the vests -- and therefore the safety of U.S. troops -- will be hurt by having untrained replacements rather than veteran union workers on the job.þþ``We are going to follow through to see to it that this quality is maintained,'' Abercrombie said. ``The only way that can be done is by having quality people produce the body armor. That can't be done with casual hires at minimum wage or less.''þþ
Source: NY Times
