February 4, 1998 - National Football League owners are expected to give final approval of the sale of the Minnesota Vikings to novelist Tom Clancy next month. Clancy has purchased a 30-percent share of the franchise, and along with several other investors, is paying a total of more than 200-million dollars for the team. That makes the deal the most expensive team purchase in NFL history. Minnesota Public Radio's Perry Finelli has more... Tom Clancy says his hand will be shaking when he writes the check for controlling interest of the Vikings. Clancy says he and his group of investors, which includes other unnamed celebrities, made a fair offer for the team and the current owners accepted it... cut 0420
February 4, 1998 - playlist!! A Federal Mediator has called talks tomorrow between striking Teamsters and Honeywell. The strike involves twenty-five hundred maintenance and production workers and is in its third day. Honeywell spokewoman Melissa Young: The striking Teamsters will hold their monthly meeting this evening, and it's likely to be better-attended than usual. The strike caught many of the workers and the company off-guard. Gillian First is a union activist with the Teamsters Local 11-45. S
February 5, 1998 - The economic crisis in Asia probably seems remote to many Minnesotans, but in many ways, Minnesota and Asia are joined at the wallet. According to rough estimates, Minnesota agricultural exports to Asia in 1996, amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars. Minnesota manufacturers exported more than 2.6 Billion dollars worth of goods to Japan, China and other Asian countries. The exports go to countries now in the midst of economic turmoil from slowing economies, business bankruptcies and unemployment. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin has this look at the symptoms of the Asian economic Flu in Minnesota.
February 6, 1998 - A new state report to be released this morning says all the studies of Twin Cities transit options done so far do not make a convincing case for the expensive proposals before lawmakers this session. The report from the Legislative Auditor raises questions about the predictions of car congestion on Twin Cities roadways. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson has more. The Legislative Auditor's report won't be public until it's released to lawmakers. State officials who've seen the document say the report finds that for all the analysis over the past 30 years, especially of light rail transit, crucial information has not been looked at. The report says there's no analysis of what taxpayers will get in the way of
February 6, 1998 - use this edited version Republican gubernatorial candidates made their pitch for the environmentalist vote last night (THURS). State Senator Roy Terwilliger and former State Representative Allen Quist took questions from the League of Conservation Voters, a group that's trying to get all the candidates on the record on issues ranging from nuclear waste storage to wetlands. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports: If last night's League of Conservation Voters forum is any indication, urban sprawl and the transportation problems that go with it has become a top-priority issue for Minnesota environmentalists. The audience peppered the candidates with questions about land use planning, mass transit and gridlock -- and the two Republicans offered some surprising
February 9, 1998 - MPR’s Dan Olson reports on Next Innovations, a Minneapolis organization that trains young non-profit employees business and leadership skills….and possibly the next generation of non-profit managers.
February 12, 1998 - Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports on the 2,500 striking Honeywell workers who vote on a proposed contract, possibly ending their walkout now in its 11th day. The terms of the proposed settlement are not being made public but union officials say Honeywell modified what had been the company's final offer. Central to the negotiations since the first contract was rejected, has been the union's opposition to Honeywell putting together a separate compensation package for new employees. Such arrangements often called "Two Tier," contracts, have been dividing workforces for two decades in the United States.
February 16, 1998 - Honeywell production and maintenance workers are back on the job today after approving a contract and ending a two week strike yesterday. The company backed down on a plan to pass along some of the costs of health care benefits to the workers, but the union swallowed the plan for lower pay and pensions for new employees. John Remington is a professor of Industrial Relations at the University of Minnesota. He says the union vote didn't really decide the issue, and expects it to pop up again during the next round of negotiations: John Remington is a professor of Industrial Relations at the University of Minnesota. Sun 28-MAY 12:21:30 MPR NewsPro Archive - Wed 04/11/2001
February 16, 1998 - The strike of 25 hundred Honeywell workers is over. Teamsters Local 1145 rank and file voted by a extraordinarily thin margin yesterday to accept Honeywell's latest contract offer. Many union memebrs are angry with the deal. They say their colleagues should have held out for a better contract. The first shifts reported back to work last night. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports...
February 18, 1998 - In a celebratory mood after winning the gold medal in Women's hockey, players were asked by the media, "what next?" Well, there's a Hawaiin vacation, and a trip to the White House...and maybe even a Wheaties Box in their future. As St. Paul native Alana Blahosky asked, "Why not us?" Since 1935, when javelon-thrower Babe Dedrickson showed up on a Wheaties box, it's been a tradition for Olympic Athletes to show off their medals and help sell the so-called "The breakfast of Champions." Jack Sheehan at General Mills says the Wheaties people are busy scouting the games for the next champion, and the women's hockey team is definately in the running: