31.   Crude oil prices climbed after an effort to end a strike of oil workers in Nigeria stalled.

32.   De la Fuente was recently appointed by Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo to take over as chief administrator when the previous rector failed to end the strike.

33.   Earlier this week, UPS gave indications it could change a controversial pension proposal in order to end the strike.

34.   Elaine said baseball needs to end the strike pronto.

35.   Ending the strike quickly is important for Chrysler, analysts said, because assembly plants could run out of glass products in a few days.

36.   Earlier this month, the steelworkers demonstrated at Mellon Bancorp headquarters in Pittsburgh, demanding that bank Chairman Frank Cahouet intervene to end the strike.

37.   Fehr believes Ravitch has a specific timetable for ending the strike.

38.   Feinstein, the board and the unknown judge stand to have greater impact on ending the strike than the mediator, Bill Usery Jr.

39.   Friday in California, where baseball has five teams and many jobs in jeopardy, the state Legislature passed a resolution urging Congress to help end the strike.

40.   Gerry Tighe, the general counsel of Harvard Industries, said that he wished the White House would take a bigger role in seeking to end the strike.