The Day the Twinkie Died ~ 1500 strike . . . 18,500 get fired

[Bunnykid68]

Keep waiting. The TV news channels have been reporting it all day. I'm not doing your work. Either flip on the financial channels or do some google searches. Are you totally helpless?

Is Google and Bing broken?

 

[littletommy]

I Goggled it. Wasn't that hard, after I got over my initial fears......

 

[melensdad]

Public press release (public domain material) from the Teamster's union:

..... On Wednesday, Nov. 14, Hostess Brands indicated that if it couldn’t resume normal operations by 5 p.m. EST on Thursday, Nov. 15 that it would have to begin the liquidation process. Teamster Hostess members and all Hostess employees should know this is not an empty threat or a negotiating tactic, but the certain outcome if members of the BCTGM continue to strike. This is based on conversations with our financial experts, who, because the Teamsters were involved in the legal process, had access to financial information about the company. ......

 

[moosebag]

We'll just have to go back to BACON!

 

[nipprdog]

Keep waiting. The TV news channels have been reporting it all day. I'm not doing your work. Either flip on the financial channels or do some google searches. Are you totally helpless?

Been watching TV, and searching Google. Not defending the unions, but have yet to see proof that 9% voted in a strike.

 

[atvdave]

Been watching TV, and searching Google. Not defending the unions, but have yet to see proof that 9% voted in a strike.

Looks like it was 92% of the 5000 workers.. Don't know if that = 9% of the total..

"The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union went on strike Nov. 9 after a bankruptcy judge in White Plains, New York, imposed contract concessions opposed by 92 percent of the union’s members. The union represents about 5,000 Hostess workers. "

sorce: Hostess Seen Attracting Bids for Assets From Flowers - Bloomberg

 

[atvdave]

I'll try to shed a little light, since I worked at the bakery in town for a couple of years. The Union was a joke first of all. When I started there, we where broke, the Union president at the time blew all of our money. The company did as they pleased, and the Union did not back anyone. I know from first hand experience, as I got I screwed more than once. They where bankrupt when I started, and no one wanted to buy the company. We voted to increase our insurance cost by $10, and have $10 taken out of our check each week to try and get out of bankruptcy. Which we did vote yay on. Then they wanted to come along and lower wages and raise insurance costs again. In maintenance, I made $16.16 an hour, which is not that much money for skilled labor. Most production and sanitation workers made maybe $12-$13 an hour. Not sure about shipping and receiving, but probably around the same. All supervisors where non Union and made pretty damn good money. Our plant manager and a lot of the supervisors where idiots. They along with the Union ran the place into the ground. Honestly, if I still worked there, I probably would have went on strike as well. It's easy to come to conclusions and make assumptions looking from the outside in. Yeah, managment and Unions can ruin things very quickly.

I think patriot's post sums it up for me...

 

[melensdad]

Been watching TV, and searching Google. Not defending the unions, but have yet to see proof that 9% voted in a strike.

Who said 9% voted in a strike?

If you think that then you have a reading comprehension problem.

Its under 10% that went on strike. It was only the bakery workers union that struck, not any of the other unions. Further, it was only bakery workers at a few of the facilities that struck, at most of the facilities the workers actually worked, even the bakery workers. So most of the bakery workers, who voted to strike actually showed up for work and worked, but at a couple facilities workers actually struck. It was reported that about 1500 workers actually went on strike.

The numbers add up.

 

[other dave]

The Union at fault....I don't know. Saw an employee on Chicago news and she said Owners wanted them to take an 8% cut in pay....reducing her hourly to $16.80/hr....That ain't exactly an exorbitant base wage*********,,

Let's do the math:
$16.80 x 40 hours/week = $672 weekly
$672 x 52 weeks = $34,944 annual base wage (no O.T., no benefits)
I live on less than that

 

[BGDave]

Let's do the math:
$16.80 x 40 hours/week = $672 weekly
$672 x 52 weeks = $34,944 annual base wage (no O.T., no benefits)
I live on less than that

Federal taxes+FICA+State taxes+Union dues. All minus.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

Let's do the math:
$16.80 x 40 hours/week = $672 weekly
$672 x 52 weeks = $34,944 annual base wage (no O.T., no benefits)
I live on less than that

I made $16.16 an hour. After taxes, insurance, and Union dues. I brought home roughly $360 a week working 40 hours. I'm single and live alone. You figure in rent, bills, etc. I was was just making it by. One thing you have to consider is location, which dictates cost of living.

 

[HavokCycle]

how does the fattest country in the world close snack food companies?

 

[printcraft]

how does the fattest country in the world close snack food companies?

 

[hooky]

Nipprdog, we're waiting on confirmation that you've seen the links...

 

[atvdave]

Not all, but some of the job's will come back from their competitors.. as they beef up production to make up for the lost Twinkie sales..

 

[melensdad]

how does the fattest country in the world close snack food companies?

You clearly don't understand the product depth of this company. They also make some premium brands of bread, they make Wonder Bread, Beefsteak breads, etc. There are approximately 10 national brands under this umbrella, 2 of which are snack food brands (Hostess + Dolly Madison), the rest of which are not.

Federal taxes+FICA+State taxes+Union dues. All minus.

So. Those apply to everyone at every wage. (except for the voluntary union due).

 

[Bunnykid68]

Not all, but some of the job's will come back from their competitors.. as they beef up production to make up for the lost Twinkie sales..

You cannot replace Twinkies, those other brand spongecakes do not even compare in quality

 

[HavokCycle]

You clearly don't understand the product depth of this company. They also make some premium brands of bread, they make Wonder Bread, Beefsteak breads, etc. There are approximately 10 national brands under this umbrella, 2 of which are snack food brands (Hostess + Dolly Madison), the rest of which are not.

i was being a prick. im aware of their product reach. im actually very saddened by the news that this many people will be looking for work monday. another legacy ruined by politics.

 

[atvdave]

You cannot replace Twinkies, those other brand spongecakes do not even compare in quality

On a side note... My sister will be busy. She works for Lewis Bakerys...

 

[Bunnykid68]

When I am right I am right