August 26, 1998 - George Wosniak, travel agent and president of Hobbit Travel in the Twin Cities, sorts out consumer information in the event of a strike of Northwest Airlines pilots. Wosniak also answers listener questions.
August 26, 1998 - (FOR WED MORNING ED) Northwest and its pilots have moved talks from the Ozarks to Minneapolis marking another day of mediated sessions. Neither side will comment on the status of those talks. Pilots could walk off their jobs 11 pm Minnesota time Friday. But as Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports travel officials are encouraging consumers to begin making alternative travel plans days *before* the strike date: Northwest airlines is expected to announce Wednesday whether it will cancel international flights even earlier than Friday evening's strike deadline. That's possible since Northwest may not want to strand airplanes overseas. Bob McFarlin of the Minnesota Department of Transportation says Northwest passengers may want to book other flights as soon as We
August 26, 1998 - MPR’s Michael Khoo reports on a movement known as Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, which is demonstrating the viability of local, small-scale farming. Members buy shares in a farm at the outset of the growing season and are then entitled to a portion of the weekly harvests.
August 26, 1998 - Minnesota Public Radio's "Campaign 98". From now to the primary in September, we're presenting in-depth interviews with candidates on the issues. This week we're focusing on economic development. In this segment, Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum talks with D-F-L gubernatorial candidate Skip Humphrey. You can hear the next segment of our Campaign 98 focus on the issues this afternoon on All Things Considered when Martin Kaste talks with Ted Mondale about economic development.
August 26, 1998 - Reports flew today (Wednesday) that Northwest and its pilots are close to settling a two-year old contract dispute and possibly averting a strike this Friday. The strike would cripple air service in Minnesota and strand thousands of travellers. But Northwest announced it's cancelled 400 weekend flights and will stop accepting cargo for flights this evening. Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: Despite a flurry of reports ranging from a settlement was close at hand to both sides had reached a tentative agreement...Northwest management and pilots were quick to deny any settlement was near: Northwest's Jon Austin: (talks are continuing we continue to put reasonable proposals on the table we continue good faith negotiations the talks are on-going)
August 26, 1998 - Officals with Northwest Airlines and the Airline Pilots Association deny reports they are close to reaching a contract agreement before Friday's strike deadline. A White House aid said today the President is UNLIKELY to force Northwest pilots back to work if they walk out. Not long ago Northwest's new owners pledged to make that airline a leader in labor relations. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik looks back at how Northwest and its unions got to the stage they're at now.
August 26, 1998 - PLAYLIST 8071 With the deadline for a strike looming, one of the key questions hanging over negotiators for Northwest, the pilots union and communities the airline serves is whether President Clinton will put a strike on hold. The Bloomberg news service website reports a White House source says the president is not likely to order pilots back to work. A year and a half ago, Mr. Clinton broke with 3 decades of presidential practice and DID order American Airlines pilots back to work minutes after they went on strike. Experts disagree on whether the president will intervene in a Northwest strike. As Bill Catlin reports, some observers say the decision will be based as much on politics as economics.
August 26, 1998 - (Saint Paul Wednesday ATC) There is a general sense of contentment among Americans about the good state of the nation's economy. Yet, here in Minnesota, family farmers are said to be facing a crisis because of low crop prices and a series of natural disasters. It's an issue that's now become part of the governror's race. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen Louise Boothe reports: Fall Harvest begins in less than a month. Even though a BOUNTY is expected there's little optimism among some farmers because of low commodity prices. Democrats place the blame on the Republican-backed Freedom to Farm bill that phased out federal price subsidies. In this year's mid-term elections, they're
August 26, 1998 - A strike by Northwest Airlines pilots would leave many people in the Dakotas and greater Minnesota stranded without alternative transportation. Northwest dominates the air service and other carriers aren't able to pick up the extra passengers. Bus routes are available once or twice a day but as Minnesota Public Radio's Cara Hetland reports in the event of a strike people are better off staying put or driving to where they want to go. It isn't easy getting where you want to go from Sioux Falls. For example to get to Fresno, California passengers fly first to Minneapolis then to Salt Lake City, next to Los Angeles - finally, to Fresno. Still Northwest has more than 50 percent of the market share for the area. In the event of a strike five-hundred people a day would have to find alternative trans
August 27, 1998 - (UPDATED FOR THURS M.E.) Reports flew Wednesday that Northwest and its pilots are close to settling a two-year old contract dispute and possibly averting a strike tomorrow (Friday). The strike would cripple air service in Minnesota and strand thousands of travellers. But Northwest announced it's cancelled 400 weekend flights and has already stopped accepting cargo. Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: Despite a flurry of reports ranging from a settlement was close at hand to both sides had reached a tentative agreement...Northwest management and pilots were quick to deny any settlement was near: Northwest's Jon Austin: (talks are continuing we continue to put reasona