The Dakota Scout

Share this post

SCOUTING YESTERDAY: Nationwide strikes ground South Dakotans ahead of Labor Day holiday

www.thedakotascout.com
The Lounge

SCOUTING YESTERDAY: Nationwide strikes ground South Dakotans ahead of Labor Day holiday

This week in South Dakota history: Aug. 30-Sept. 5

Dan Gehlsen
Sep 4, 2023
∙ Paid
2
Share this post

SCOUTING YESTERDAY: Nationwide strikes ground South Dakotans ahead of Labor Day holiday

www.thedakotascout.com
1
Share
person in black jacket driving car during daytime

Labor union power faced a nationwide test a quarter century ago that rippled in South Dakota.

Telecommunications company US West laborers were just arriving back at work after a two week strike as pilots with Northwest Airlines were forming picket lines of their own.

The Northwest Airlines pilot strike began Aug. 28, 1998, when 6,200 pilots left their jobs. Head of the Executive Council of Pilots’ union, Steve Zoller, told Minneapolis reporters, “I have instructed our strike committee to tell our pilots to withdraw all services immediately.”

Agreements had been made on most contract issues, but two points were unresolved before the strike deadline: job security and compensation, according to the Argus Leader.

The Sioux Falls Regional Airport saw the effects as Mesaba Airlines and Northwest Airlines were both grounded during the strike. Mesaba operated three daily flights to Minneapolis while Northwest offered six, accounting for about half of all Sioux Falls flights, according to the Argus Leader.

LABOR DAY: Holiday origins have roots in South Dakota

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to

The Dakota Scout
to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
Previous
Next
© 2023 The Dakota Scout
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing