Exhibit A in why unions are bad news

Four months ago I gave Northwest Airlines' mechanics union the Knucklehead of the day award. The union was going on strike as their company was facing bankruptcy.

Over four months has passed and the union is still on strike. Northwest Airlines is still flying, and has replaced the strikers at the same time going through bankruptcy court. The union just rejected Northwest's latest contract offer too. But read this news carefully, if the union had voted yes the mechanics would have still been out of work. Northwest has replaced them.

Just proves that I was right giving the mechanics union a Knucklehead award. 4,400 workers are out of work, that's what the union has to show for their strike. Labor union orgnaizers shouldn't be shocked then that most people find these organizations of little use.

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MINNEAPOLIS - Mechanics at Northwest Airlines Corp. voted to remain on strike Friday, a move that will have little impact on the bankrupt airline's operations.

Leaders of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association lobbied against the company's latest offer, which would not have brought back any of the 4,400 union members who went on strike Aug. 20.

Of the 2,223 votes cast, 1,258, or 56 percent, of union members rejected the offer while 965, or 43 percent, voted in favor, according to a news release from the union.

"Our striking members refused to bow down to Northwest's arrogant, self-enriching management and will continue the strike against this renegade, union-busting airline," said AMFA National Direct O.V. Delle-Femine in a prepared statement.

The contract would have re-classified the strikers as laid-off rather than on the strike. The designation would make those that hadn't found other work eligible for unemployment benefits.

The bankrupt airline has been flying more-or-less normally for weeks with 880 replacement mechanics and outside vendors.

The latest offer would also have paid the strikers four weeks severance pay, accrued vacation time and guaranteed that they would be first in line for future job openings at the airline.