August 28, 1998 - George Wozniak, travel agent and president of Hobbit Travel in Twin Cities, returns to further discuss what travelers can expect in the event of a strike, and how best to strategize. Wozniak also answers listener questions. Program begins with a brief report on status of pending strike and what the negotiators are going through.
August 28, 1998 - With only hours left before a possible Northwest Airlines strike, air travelers in Bemidji are preparing for the worst. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Robertson has the story... (sound of airplane) If Northwest Airlines pilots strike tonight, travelers departing Bemidji will have little choice but to leave town by car, bus, or by an expensive charter service. Mesaba Airlines Northwest Airlink Flight 3027 was among the
August 28, 1998 - As the hours before a strike deadline wound down the rhetoric between northwest airlines and its pilots union did not. With a deadline of 11:01 tonight, Northwest issued a report saying the economic damage of a month long pilots strike would be enough to rank among the top ten natural disasters of the decade. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin reports. The report contends a northwest Airlines strike easily meets the legal test for the president to intervene and send the pilots back to work. Northwest publicized the study roughly 12 hours before the strike deadline. Northwest officials have maintained the company is not lobbying for presidential intervention. The report was prepared for the US Transportation Department. Northwest commissioned the rep
August 28, 1998 - The stock market tried to bounce back after yesterday's huge loss -- but ended up just losing more ground. After surging 78 points this morning, the Dow ended up falling 114 points in very heavy trading. The Dow lost more than 481 points for the week. Ronald Reuss is the chief economist for Piper Jaffray Inc. in Minneapolis.
August 28, 1998 - The Federal Environmental Protection Agency says farmers in the Dakotas can use poison to kill thousands of blackbirds. The Dakotas and Minnesota produce 85-percent of the sunflowers grown in the United States. Farmers say blackbirds are eating their profits. But Federal Wildlife officials say poison won't solve the problem, and will also kill desirable bird species. Mainstreet Radios Dan Gunderson reports. Mike Clemens is frustrated. He's watching thousands of blackbirds feast on his sunflower field , he can't stop them.
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.