Hostess is Toast

[foreUT]

The Teamsters are pointing at the BCTGM for failing to negotiate in good faith for the benefit of their members and the continued livelihood of the other Hostess employees:

http://www.teamster.org/content/teamsters-bakery-workers-should-hold-secret-ballot-vote-hostess

Teamster Hostess members were allowed to decide their fate by voting on the final offer conducted by a secret mail ballot. More than two-thirds of Hostess Teamsters members voted with 53 percent voting to approve the final offer.

The BCTGM chose a different path, as is their prerogative, to not substantively look for a solution or engage in the process. BCTGM members were told there were better solutions than the final offer, although Judge Drain stated in his decision in bankruptcy court that no such solutions exist. Without complete information, BCTGM members voted by voice votes in union halls. The BCTGM reported that over 90 percent rejected the final offer and three of its units ratified the final offer.

Failing to give an accurate, realistic financial picture of the company and the right to vote via secret ballot was a disservice to the members that pay the salary of the BCTGM.

 

[Planogirl]

What is a chocolate zinger?

 

[mefordis]

A Twinkie or treat every now and then is not going to kill you!! I wonder how many on here who are complaining about the nutritional aspects of Twinkies gorge themselves on free dinning in WDW or all the unhealthy food choices WDW offers. Both of my kids are super active and eat very healthy but are allowed some sort of small treat each evening maybe some cookies , snack size piece of candy, ice cream, or some sort of Little Debbie or snack cake thing and neither are diabetic obese or have teeth falling out of their mouth from sugar rot. Moderation is the key and many people practice just that and our right to feed out children what we want should not be infringed upon.

But why not choose treats that are not filled with chemicals and preservatives? There are choices out there and if those are too expensive just make your own and freeze them. It's not that hard and it makes a fun activity to do with the kids.

Imagine a cake or cookie that has REAL butter, actual sugar, cage free eggs, real vanilla, NO PRESERVATIVES! Has your family tasted such a cookie? They are very good!

Here is what is in a twinkie:

http://globalgrind.com/music/what-is-in-twinkie-ingredients-photos-going-out-business-hostess

Also, OT but one huge gripe I have about WDW is the junk they put in their baked goods. So unhealthy and really just poison.

 

[Planogirl]

But why not choose treats that are not filled with chemicals and preservatives? There are choices out there and if those are too expensive just make your own and freeze them. It's not that hard and it makes a fun activity to do with the kids.

Imagine a cake or cookie that has REAL butter, actual sugar, cage free eggs, real vanilla, NO PRESERVATIVES! Has your family tasted such a cookie? They are very good!

Here is what is in a twinkie:

http://globalgrind.com/music/what-is-in-twinkie-ingredients-photos-going-out-business-hostess

Even with all of that, I doubt that a few twinkies will hurt anyone. Like the other poster said, I imagine that Disney's baked goods are also full of all kinds of interesting things.

 

[donaldlovesdaisy]

But why not choose treats that are not filled with chemicals and preservatives? There are choices out there and if those are too expensive just make your own and freeze them. It's not that hard and it makes a fun activity to do with the kids.

Imagine a cake or cookie that has REAL butter, actual sugar, cage free eggs, real vanilla, NO PRESERVATIVES! Has your family tasted such a cookie? They are very good!

Here is what is in a twinkie:

http://globalgrind.com/music/what-is-in-twinkie-ingredients-photos-going-out-business-hostess

Also, OT but one huge gripe I have about WDW is the junk they put in their baked goods. So unhealthy and really just poison.

I am an awful baker so not from my kitchen but we do get stuff from a local bakery so maybe. I would love to have the time and ability to make those types of things. I can however cook so we don't eat prepackaged foods so I guess in my mind it kind of balances things out.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Hostess demise can be laid at the feet of way too much debt in takeover restructuring, horribly out dated products, and bad management. Seriously, their plan to save the company was
Wait for it.
Wait for it.
BOOM!!!! BANANA FLAVORED TWINKIES!!!!!

Ah. You mean the original Twinkie.

I fail to see the humor.

 

[kaytieeldr]

See, that's the problem with how we all think. If we were truly honest with ourselves, we would admit that everyone out there really is "greedy" because everyone out there wants to turn a profit or make more money. If you honestly disagree, ask yourself if you are willing to make enough money to pay rent (not mortgage because there is no need to own if you aren't investing or wanting to turn a profit) and bills. And by bills, I mean electricity and water; cable and phone are just excessive and not required to live.

The FCC would disagree with that point of view. A telephone is a necessity; having worked for a telephone company, I know it's considered a lifeline service.

Hard to call 911 in emergencies otherwise.

 

[kaytieeldr]

So an employee with a high school education chooses to work as an independent contractor? I don't think so. My state just kept Linda McMahon from becoming a senator and one of the biggest gripes was that her wrestlers in the WWE were paid as independent contractors even though it's a physically taxing job.

As for the companies that did leave, they probably had no intention of staying. They were just trying to put the onus on someone else and some people still fall for that.

WWE = World Wrestling Entertainment. Many entertainers are, effectively, Independent Contractors - even actors paid millions of dollars per movie.

As for companies that move operations overseas, they're responding to our demands. We want "it" as inexpensively as possible, but we expect high compensation for our work. You can't have both. If people are willing to pay $10 for something that takes a half hour to make, and the total cost to manufacture that item in the United States is $15 - but in Asia it's $4 - where would you make that item?

 

[mefordis]

I am an awful baker so not from my kitchen but we do get stuff from a local bakery so maybe. I would love to have the time and ability to make those types of things. I can however cook so we don't eat prepackaged foods so I guess in my mind it kind of balances things out.

I just thought of a great business idea for some of those soon to be unemployed but motivated bakers. How about a company that creates retro snacks that have REAL ingredients? Twinkies with real ingredients, preservative free and called something else. Cupcakes, zingers, etc. They can all look like them and taste the way they USED to taste in the 70's. As long as they came up with a new name, no problem with legal issues.

Whole foods I'm sure would stock these and they could be bought for premium -- there are people out there that would buy them, trust me. Maybe not a lot of budget minded people but those who are willing to spend money on real food.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Doesn't affect me*, I don't own stock in them and personally, I feel their 'food', if you can call it that, contributes to all sorts of diseases and chronic conditions.

Then again, just like if someone wants to work a low paying job, I think people should be allowed to eat whatever they want. Even if I think it's 'poison'.

*beyond the fact as a taxpayer, now I'll have to pick up the tab for many of these people going on unemployment and social welfare programs.

Being unemployed doesn't mean the person/s have or will ever have any need for social welfare programs.

And you do not pay one single cent of tax or any other money for or towards any displaced worker's/workers' unemployment compensation.

 

[mad madam mim78]

Don't know what you got till its gone I guess. Everybody wants to gripe and complain about how terrible a company or CEO is until they don't have one to gripe about. Then you start thinking "man, wish I had someone willing to write me a paycheck".

I own a small business and I know first hand how ungreatful workers can be. Even when you do sacrifice in hard times. As soon as you are becoming prosperous the minute you stick your hand in the till to claim what you deserve as the business owner and risk taker you get a dirty look from everyone. There are so few people that say "hey she owns this place she can do that". Most people rip me apart as greedy and say "we'll we deserve more!"

No you don't. Period. You dropped out of high school, got your GED and now you're on a factory line. You don't deserve NEARLY the amount of money the top guys earn. If you did everyone would be dropping out of school. What would be the incentive to EVER work harder to better your life? Want a piece of the pie? Work for it.

 

[donaldlovesdaisy]

I just thought of a great business idea for some of those soon to be unemployed but motivated bakers. How about a company that creates retro snacks that have REAL ingredients? Twinkies with real ingredients, preservative free and called something else. Cupcakes, zingers, etc. They can all look like them and taste the way they USED to taste in the 70's. As long as they came up with a new name, no problem with legal issues.

Whole foods I'm sure would stock these and they could be bought for premium -- there are people out there that would buy them, trust me. Maybe not a lot of budget minded people but those who are willing to spend money on real food.

I would buy it! Food is one thing we don't really have a budget for we live in area when most of the year there are tons of farmers markets with fresh fruits and veggies so I rarely buy any of that in the store. We also only buy meat from a butcher and only hormone free and grass fed. Heck I spend 10 bucks a week on a gallon a fresh apple cider. Like I said we try to eat healthy heavy protein veggie meals but I don't deny my children treats. HFCS is small amounts is not going to kill them at least I hope not!

 

[luvmy3]

He runs a major company what do you expect!! It could be anyone of us if that was the path in life we had taken. Would you be equally as appalled if this were you or a family member? All this faux outrage is so silly when not a single one of us would turn that type of money down simply based on principle.

Somehow I doubt there'd be that much outrage from someone if they were the more successful ones, or their children were.........

 

[MolonLabe]

Being unemployed doesn't mean the person/s have or will ever have any need for social welfare programs.

And you do not pay one single cent of tax or any other money for or towards any displaced worker's/workers' unemployment compensation.

really? Exactly where does that money come from? unemployment insurance is a tax, paid for ultimately by workers and consumers. It's a bit complicated so let's just look at the current federal benefits...

Paid for, 100% by taxpayers of every single state in the union.

 

[kaytieeldr]

really? Exactly where does that money come from? unemployment insurance is a tax, paid for ultimately by workers and consumers. It's a bit complicated so let's just look at the current federal benefits...

Paid for, 100% by taxpayers of every single state in the union.

Unemployment insurance is 100% employer-paid. Has since the inception of the Federal Unemployment Tax Act in 1939. Before that there was nothing.

It's a cost of doing business.

Changing your complaint from "I as a taxpayer..." to "I as a consumer..." won't fly. There are many, many indirect costs that 'you the consumer' finance as the result of purchasing a product or availing yourself of a service, that 'you the taxpayer' don't.

 

[Pipkin]

The parasites killed the HOSTess.

 

[tvguy]

I doubt it. What bakery do you think made them?

Sara Lee bakes Walmarts rip off Twinkies. And they are unionized.

 

[tvguy]

Don't know what you got till its gone I guess. Everybody wants to gripe and complain about how terrible a company or CEO is until they don't have one to gripe about. Then you start thinking "man, wish I had someone willing to write me a paycheck".

I own a small business and I know first hand how ungreatful workers can be. Even when you do sacrifice in hard times. As soon as you are becoming prosperous the minute you stick your hand in the till to claim what you deserve as the business owner and risk taker you get a dirty look from everyone. There are so few people that say "hey she owns this place she can do that". Most people rip me apart as greedy and say "we'll we deserve more!"

No you don't. Period. You dropped out of high school, got your GED and now you're on a factory line. You don't deserve NEARLY the amount of money the top guys earn. If you did everyone would be dropping out of school. What would be the incentive to EVER work harder to better your life? Want a piece of the pie? Work for it.

I think comparing a corporation to an indivdually owned business is comparing apples to oranges. I have no problem with an individual owner enjoying the fruits of his or her hard work, you are right, THEY have risked their own money, sometimes, even their own homes........but a corporate CEO isn't risking any of their own money, he is risking the money of stockholders, which is usually folks like you and I, and these days, often the employees of the corporation.

 

[Debbie7452]

Unemployment insurance is paid by employers, but the cost goes up astronomically if an unemployment claim is made and blamed on the company for whatever reason...(layoffs, etc.) If the company is already out of business that cost will be shifted to all the remaining companies in the state still paying into the system with a higher base tax rate. There is no free money pile laying around to pay these claims.

 

[tvguy]

I look at how things have changed in my mom's lifetime, she's 89, and I kind of think maybe the western world needs to reset it's priorities.

My mom grew up on a farm with no running water, no electricity, no telephone. My Grandfather actually used a horse to pull a plow and pull a combine to harvest his wheat crop. No tractors. They had a cow for milk, chickens for eggs, a vegetable garden than my Grandmother canned the vegetables from to eat in the winter, and bought only the things they couldn't grow or make themselves. They had everything they needed to survive.

Now, most Westerners expect to have a big screen TV, central heat and air, a nice car, a smart phone, and I know a few that actually can not cook and buy every meal prepared for them.....and few others that send all their laundry out rather than wash it themselves.

Our society created a lot of jobs than have for years actually paid more than the value of the work provided by the worker. A huge issue here right now in California are public sector jobs, some that allow you to work 30 years, retire with full medical benefits and a decent pension as young as 48. A lot of these folks are going to spend more of their lives retired than working. These situations have allowed people to buy more luxury items than the value of labor actually was worth. An issue in my community was a strike by grocery store clerks.....retirement was a big part of the strike, this is a private company where you can retire as young as 55 with full benefits and a pension.....but pay was a factor. Is dragging groceries across a scanner a skill actually worth $21 an hour 6 days a week, and $42 an hour on Sundays and Holidays?

Now the chickens are coming home to roost. Other nations are ramping up their industrial production as we are ramping ours down. They are doing it by paying wages that more than meet the cost of life necessities, but are a fraction of our inflated wages. This issue is frequently discussed over on the Cruise Line Forum......staff on cruise ships making very little by our standards......but that amount in a month is equal to what they could earn in a year at home.
So I suspect we're all going to have to scale back on our toys, and most of us will fight it. But what's more important, that smart phone, or feeding and clothing your family.