Twinkees Dead, Union Charged with Ho-Homicide..

[700UW]

 

[SparrowHawk]

Nothing like a little class envy to piss all over an intelligent exchange.

 

[xUT]

If you scratch the surface of a Management/Labor dispute you often find that the real culprit is as you mentioned work rules. Work rules destroyed the US Steel industy when clause 2b was introduced into the Master contract. The clause was essentially a past practices clause. Thi led to the simple task of changing a belt on a motor to be done by a total of three people. An Electrian to turn off the power, A mechanic to remove and replace the belt, a laborer to fetch said belt and the electrican to restore power. Truth is you could have paid all three Min. wage and the company would not be profitable.

This is where I do blame unions. They want dues and the only way to keep the revenue stream is to have as many people employed as possible even if it means they have sealed the fate of those employees to future unemployment.

I agree!
Sometimes unions take things too far.
At the "Lazy'U" engineers could not use a tool and had to have a mechanic there to do instructed work.
A mechanic can not get a part from stores as it had to be delivered by a store keeper.
If you have an AOG and need a part immediately, just hope it is not in conflict with a store keeper lunch or break-time, which didn't really matter as some would drag their ass anyway.
You couldn't even sweep/mop the floor even if it was a mess.
Very counter productive!
JMHO,
B) xUT

 

[SparrowHawk]

Hostess Brands Inc on Wednesday won permission from a U.S. bankruptcy judge to begin shutting down, and expressed optimism it will find new homes for many of its iconic brands, which include Twinkies, Drake's cakes and Wonder Bread.

http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2012/11/21/15337294-bankruptcy-judge-approves-hostess-liquidation?lite

 

[KCFlyer]

Brembo will buy most of it. Most likely for less than they offered back in the first bankrupcy, when they were part of an investment group - including the Teamsters.

 

[Knotbuyinit]

Brembo will buy most of it. Most likely for less than they offered back in the first bankrupcy, when they were part of an investment group - including the Teamsters.

Twinkies adiós, siempre ding dong

 

[KCFlyer]

Twinkies adiós, siempre ding dong

Yeah....their ORIGINAL plan included the Teamsters as partners and offered $580 million. I'd imagine they'd keep production here, like they did Sara Lee. But I bet they get it for less than $580 mil too.

 

[Ms Tree]

I have no issues with the USPS but I rarely use them. I pay all my bills through my credit union. They pay the postage if an electronic payment is not accepted and they guarantee the delivery. Much easier to track. I don't have to worry about buying stalls and envelopes. I do it than I want. If I forget I can hop on line at 1am and pay a bill.

Nothing against the USPS but times change. I think the USES serves a need. Those who live it the boonies or don't have a PC need it. I have no issues for now subsidizing the USPS.

 

[SparrowHawk]

Brembo will buy most of it. Most likely for less than they offered back in the first bankrupcy, when they were part of an investment group - including the Teamsters.

A small correction/question.

I assume you're referring to Grupo Bimbo, a Mexican food company that owns Entemen's, some Sara Lee brands and a few others here in the states?

 

[eolesen]

I posted a thread about that yesterday... Grupo Bimbo (pronounced beembo) has slowly taken over the baked goods world. They'll buy the right to the brands and probably run out of their existing bakeries.

The employees? Facilities? Good luck.

 

[SparrowHawk]

I posted a thread about that yesterday... Grupo Bimbo (pronounced beembo) has slowly taken over the baked goods world. They'll buy the right to the brands and probably run out of their existing bakeries.

The employees? Facilities? Good luck.

They also need the distribution network that Hostess has. My expectation of how it will go is similar to what Mitel did when they aquired the assets of LTV and Bethlehem Steel.

Buy the plants rehire the workers under the condition that they dump the pension plans and agree to work rule concessions only. If that doesn't work then they buy the brands and to hell with the plants and unions.

 

[KCFlyer]

I posted a thread about that yesterday... Grupo Bimbo (pronounced beembo) has slowly taken over the baked goods world. They'll buy the right to the brands and probably run out of their existing bakeries.

The employees? Facilities? Good luck.

Back in the first Interstate Bakeries bankruptcy, this group, along with the Teamsters, offered to buy the company for $580 million. That bid got turned down, and the bid that was accepted was $130 million from venture capital. They got $110 million in labor concessions and exited bankruptcy with $680 million in debt...which was more debt than they entered bankruptcy with.. I am still trying to figure out how that was the unions fault.

I hear a lot of consipracy theories about Paetreus not resigning until after the election...but one has to wonder why this was timed after the election too. My guess is - it hit too close to home to the 'job creation' that Romney did under Bain.

 

[SparrowHawk]

Back in the first Interstate Bakeries bankruptcy, this group, along with the Teamsters, offered to buy the company for $580 million. That bid got turned down, and the bid that was accepted was $130 million from venture capital. They got $110 million in labor concessions and exited bankruptcy with $680 million in debt...which was more debt than they entered bankruptcy with.. I am still trying to figure out how that was the unions fault.

I hear a lot of consipracy theories about Paetreus not resigning until after the election...but one has to wonder why this was timed after the election too. My guess is - it hit too close to home to the 'job creation' that Romney did under Bain.

There is enough blame on this one to fill a server. Take your pick where to start. NO ONE is free from blame on this one.

The die is cast so rather then play the blame game it's time to move forward and see what happens next. Supposedly Flower Foods (TastyKake) and ConAgra have expressed interest as well.One thing that gives Grupo Bimbo a leg up is the price of sugar in Mexico versus here. Also Grupo Bimbo has a pretty big pile of cash, something I don't think Flower or ConAgra have for this type of aquisition. Money talks but in these situations cash SCREAMS.

 

[KCFlyer]

There is enough blame on this one to fill a server. Take your pick where to start. NO ONE is free from blame on this one.

The die is cast so rather then play the blame game it's time to move forward and see what happens next. Supposedly Flower Foods (TastyKake) and ConAgra have expressed interest as well.One thing that gives Grupo Bimbo a leg up is the price of sugar in Mexico versus here. Also Grupo Bimbo has a pretty big pile of cash, something I don't think Flower or ConAgra have for this type of aquisition. Money talks but in these situations cash SCREAMS.

You know...there IS some blame on both sides, but the original post sure seems to indicate that it's the unions fault. IMHO, they planned on liquidating this when they filed the second bankruptcy. But since the GOP candidate had a history as a 'venture capitalist' and was running as a "job creator", it wouldn't look good if a business run by VC's in the same manner that Bain was run liquidated in the middle the campaign. So they held on just long enough for Romney to lose, then blame it on the unions. Sorry folks, but when you enter bankruptcy with $500 million in debt and exit bankruptcy with $680 million in debt, something ain't right...and it can't be laid at the feet of the unions alone.

 

[Knotbuyinit]

Paetreus. What happens when Generals take orders from their Privates!