August 28, 1998 - Clinton Administration officials speaking on condition of anonymity say the President is unlikely to intervene if Northwest Airlines pilots go on strike at 11:01 tonight. Underlying the administration's reasoning is a belief that after more than 10 days of mediated talks, there's a good chance the pilots and the company will settle their remaining issues. Under the Railway Labor Act, the president, acting on the recommendation of the National Mediation Board, can avert a strike with a 60-day "cooling off" period if he finds "a substantial economic threat" would deprive a region of a "central transportation service." Associate Professor of Political Science at Gustavus Adolophus College, Chris Gilbert says a Northwest strike would undoubtedly have a negative economic impact on the region, but in the national scheme, it's not considered a big enough problem for the President to intervene right away:
August 31, 1998 - Chris Farrell, MPR's senior business and economics editor, discusses recent negative activity on the stock market, farm surpluses, Russian and Asian financial crises. Farrell also answers listener questions.
August 31, 1998 - The stock market took a big plunge today. Waves of selling moved through the market in the final two hours of trading. The Dow industrials average suffered its second worst point loss ever, declining 512 points or six percent. Tony Carideo is the director of Research for John G. Kinnard in Minneapolis. Sun 28-MAY 09:12:25 MPR NewsPro Archive - Wed 04/11/2001
August 31, 1998 - The Midway business is big business. Across the country each year, carnivals generate millions of dollars in revenue at state and county fairs. But being a carnival worker is more competitive than ever... and it is no different on the Minnesota State Fair's Mighty Midway. MPR's Lynette Nyman provides report on the challenges and work of the working the Midway.
August 31, 1998 - Pilots for Northwest airlines are walking picket lines for the third day in a row today at the airline's hubs in Detroit, Memphis and Minneapolis St Paul. Northwest has cancelled all domestic flights through Tuesday and cancelled all international flights through Wednesday even if pilots and management settle. The company could announce even more cancellations later today. Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports from St Paul: That report by Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki.
August 31, 1998 - Twin cities airport officials say things were relatively calm at Minneapolis St. Paul Internaional airport today. Airport officials had been bracing for the worst on the first business day of the Northwest airlines pilots strike which grounded the airline late friday. As Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin reports, morning travellers either had an easy time of it, or became ensnared in frustrating misadventures trying to get out of town. sfx-- Are they insane?
August 31, 1998 - It is day three of the Northwest Airlines' pilots strike. So far, at least in the Twin Cities, the melee predicted by the airline has NOT materialized at the airport. Northwest customers are apparantly finding alternatives... and judging from sparse crowds at the airport, many of them may have choosen NOT to fly. No further negotiations are yet scheduled. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports...
September 1, 1998 - Northwest airlines has started laying off employees as a result of the pilot's strike. Today the airline announced it would furlough 162 dispatchers and 15 meteorologists. Other union heads say they expect more layoffs in the next few days. Northwest says it will decide tomorrow (Wednesday) whether to lay off flight attendants. Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: Northwest says it's paid its employees--other than striking pilots--as if the airline were running full steam. But that could soon change barring an agreement between management and pilots. Layoffs would save the carrier money but could also delay a start-up by several weeks once the strike ends.
September 1, 1998 - The effects of the Northwest Airlines pilots striking are starting to bite at regional airports. As Minnesota Public Radio's Hope Deutscher reports - at the Hector International Airport in Fargo, businesses have sent dozens of employees home. (sound of United Express plane purring along) Passangers are still landing three times a day at the Hector International Airport in Fargo...when the United Express plane from Chicago arrives. Nine Northwest flights usually land each day - bringing in about 16-hundred passengers...the three United Express flights bring less than 200 passengers daily.
September 2, 1998 - Kathy Tunheim, president of Tunheim-Santrizos, and Leonard Lee, president of the Right Stuff, share analysis of the public relations war being conducted by Northwest Airlines and the pilots' union. Tunheim and Lee also answer listener questions.