Twinkees Dead, Union Charged with Ho-Homicide..

[Kev3188]

Just because they gave concessions three times doesn't change the facts. Hostess' costs were out of line and their product offerings had not been changed to reflect consumer tastes and preferences. I haven't eaten Hostess products in at least a decade, don't eat white bread either. The unions refused to give more concessions and they'll get what they deserve. The workers seem confident other jobs are plentiful in the current job market especially for unskilled 50 year old workers. Reality will really set in when they find a new job with pay and benefits far below what they had at Hostess.

Josh

Good point. There is actually a huge number of skilled jobs that need to be filled. Unfortunately, the skill set of many workers doesn't match them, so they go unfilled. All the more reason for us to be investing in education/continuing education/retraining instead of looking to further eviscerate their respective budgets. Dunno 'bout you, but as a taxpayer, I'd much rather pay for someone to retrain & set out on a new career path than to cover UI...

NW- Out of business

... And the combined company is now making $$$ hand over fist. Don't underestimate the contribution the Red Tail operation has made to that. You're welcome.

USPS- Broke

You do know why the USPS is under so much fiscal pressure, right?

Don't let reality hit you in the face !

...Says the man that makes a habit out of ignoring it in the first place...

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

Automation/new technology have made a lot of 'older union trades' obsolete, 'Mass production bakers are fast falling in that group, theater 'projectionists' another. SHIIT happens.

So as '700' correctly says,...after sooo many give backs it's time to let it DIE.

Now southwind will try and EDUCATE us (Yeah RIGHT)...that if the union doesn't want the jobs, let SCABS take them.
SORRY. That company has a C O N T R A C T, and if an agreement can't be reached they say. Well "WE'LL have to CLOSE the DOOR" !
OK, no problem. Just don't let THE DOOR that YOU the company is closing, HIT you in the ASSS !!!!

 

[SparrowHawk]

Keep ignoring the facts and deflect.

The BCTGM employees gave THREE rounds of concessions to management, and management failed the company.

Bottom line, for someone who seems intelligent your hatred of unions and democrats certainly blind you.

Guess you been watching How America was Built and want it to go back to the robber barrons and monopolies.

And in the end the free market ruled and found Hotess GUILTY of Mismanagement and the Unions Guily of greed. Game set, match.

 

[Ms Tree]

This deserves it's own topic... Go unions!

http://www.usatoday....siness/1708409/


http://www.prnewswir...-179640671.html

Wow, and you accuse me of leaving facts out? The company is in it's second bankruptcy, $1 billion in debt. Burning through $2 million a day. CEO/management pay raises while in bankruptcy and asking for wage cuts but hey, lets blame the unions.


At best you are intellectually dishonest.


For anyone other than Eolsen and Southwind who wants to have facts about the issue I found this article.

Hostess is bankrupt … again

 

[700UW]

Union greed?

They gave concessions three different times, simply amazing you say the unions are greedy, its a democratic process, the members voted to reject concessions for a fourth time and strike.

Gee I though the libertarians were all about freedom.

 

[SparrowHawk]

Union greed?

They gave concessions three different times, simply amazing you say the unions are greedy, its a democratic process, the members voted to reject concessions for a fourth time and strike.

Gee I though the libertarians were all about freedom.

I am all about economic and social Liberty. I support a group or workers who wish to unionize if they feel it in their best interests. However a growing & robust economy is usually the best time to bargain for more money. All many unions care about is dues to fund their political activities (Please spare me the dues can't be used speech. ALL funds are fungible) the proof of which is the nearly 100 million donated to Obama during both election cycles. If they voted for full pay until the last day then so be it. I would however argue they will find precious few jobs earning what they would earn if they gave concessions.

 

[Artemus]

Tell us about Richard Trumka and the union greed behind using the UMWA votes to elect Obama and then stabbing them in the back once they helped elect him.
AFL-CIO is no different than any management in this regard.

 

[eolesen]

Fact still remains that almost 18,000 people are now out of work because a union representing less than 30% of them didn't want to face economic gravity.

As I said before, it's just a matter of time before someone else buys the brands. They're powerful enough that Interstate will find someone interested.

Bimbo and General Mills are probably both already on the phone to Kansas City...

http://www.foodprocessing.com/top100/index.html

 

[700UW]

They took concessions three times, there is a point where people have had enough, its their right to strike, you want to take their civil liberties away?

Seven CEOs in 10 years clearly shows inept management ruined the company.

They wont get anyone in Kansas City, Interstate is headquartered in Irving, TX

 

[eolesen]

From Tree's article:

Ripplewood's foray into Hostess was partly enabled by (Tim) Collins's connections in the Democratic Party. He wanted to explore deals with union-involved companies and sought the help of former congressman Gephardt, who in 2005 founded the Gephardt Group, an Atlanta consulting firm that provides "labor advisory services." In his 2004 presidential bid, Gephardt -- whose father was a Teamsters milk truck driver -- was endorsed by 21 of the largest U.S. labor unions; in 2003, Collins was one of 19 "founding members" of Gephardt's New York State leadership committee. (Today, Ripplewood and Hostess are listed online as major clients of Gephardt's consulting group, which is also an equity owner of Hostess.) Back when Hostess was coming out of the first bankruptcy, Gephardt's credibility with both Ripplewood and the Teamsters gave them each a little more room to break bread.

Hostess was bought out of bankruptcy by a Democrat connected to Dick Debthardt...

Ripplewood has been responsible for selecting the CEO's since 2009.

Perhaps, like GM, they tried to be a little too union friendly, and didn't make the difficult decisions when they had to?


Again, this could be a foreshadowing of what will happen to GM in the next couple years.

 

[SparrowHawk]

Tell us about Richard Trumka and the union greed behind using the UMWA votes to elect Obama and then stabbing them in the back once they helped elect him.
AFL-CIO is no different than any management in this regard.

It's a very long and painful story. UMW of A didn't endorse any candidate this time. Richard Trumka is violent thug IMO. He has a track record in WV of stifling dissent wih the initiation of force and is pretty open and arrogant about it.

If Richard Trumka is what a "Union Man" is then I don't ever want to be one.

 

[FWAAA]

Sad to read cluelessness like this:

The union business agent said he'd prefer to see Hostess sold.

"It's definitely got to be better than what this company's trying to implement. There are other bakeries out there looking to purchase some of these locations. These employees have the opportunity to go back in (under a new owner)."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/11/16/hostess-twinkies-ding-dongs-wonder-bread-going-out-of-business/1708409/

I suspect that any member of the Bakers' union who thinks that new owners would hire them are in for a big surprise.

But even if those brands are bought and restarted, the Hostess workers will not get their jobs back.

"The industry has overcapacity. We're overcapacity. Our rivals are overcapacity," said Rayburn in an interview on CNBC.

Asked if the shutdown decision could be reversed if the Bakers' union agreed to immediately return to work, he responded, "Too late."

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-hostess-bankruptcy,0,5097250.story

When you gamble, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

I see someone buying the various Hostess brands and producing large numbers of Twinkies and Ho-Hos primarily in right-to-work states. Probably in the south.

 

[Artemus]

I am all about economic and social Liberty. I support a group or workers who wish to unionize if they feel it in their best interests. However a growing & robust economy is usually the best time to bargain for more money. All many unions care about is dues to fund their political activities (Please spare me the dues can't be used speech. ALL funds are fungible) the proof of which is the nearly 100 million donated to Obama during both election cycles. If they voted for full pay until the last day then so be it. I would however argue they will find precious few jobs earning what they would earn if they gave concessions.

I bet in retrospect, many now wish they would have gone into work.

 

[southwind]

Automation/new technology have made a lot of 'older union trades' obsolete, 'Mass production bakers are fast falling in that group, theater 'projectionists' another. SHIIT happens.

So as '700' correctly says,...after sooo many give backs it's time to let it DIE.

Now southwind will try and EDUCATE us (Yeah RIGHT)...that if the union doesn't want the jobs, let SCABS take them.
SORRY. That company has a C O N T R A C T, and if an agreement can't be reached they say. Well "WE'LL have to CLOSE the DOOR" !
OK, no problem. Just don't let THE DOOR that YOU the company is closing, HIT you in the ASSS !!!!

Never have I condone crossing a picket line and didn't agree with what happened at NW, but then again, their Brethren, IAM didn't give a rat's ass either !

Union greed?

They gave concessions three different times, simply amazing you say the unions are greedy, its a democratic process, the members voted to reject concessions for a fourth time and strike.

Gee I though the libertarians were all about freedom.

Sounds to me like everyone's vote "Wasn't" counted !

"The Teamsters, however, didn’t vote to strike Hostess, and pleaded with the bakers’ union to find a way out of its confrontation. In a statement today, the Teamsters said, “ Teamster Hostess members, based on the facts and advice from respected restructuring advisors, understood what was at stake and voted to protect all jobs at Hostess.”

http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2012/11/16/hostess-collapse-a-sour-bite-of-reality-for-workers/

Sorry folks, but imo, in the current finacial mess this whole country is in right now, it's not the ideal time to strike..................hear what I'm saying Walmart employee's ?

 

[SparrowHawk]

I bet in retrospect, many now wish they would have gone into work.

In this economy the sad truth is that there are 180,000 who would line up for those 18,000 jobs. Just not a very bright move as the economy shows little sign of improvement