No more twinkies!!!

[Wayne M]

Originally Posted by njs42

So how did they get the filling in there?

[Wayne M]

A thousand years ago I was a member of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters of America Union and I had to join as a stock boy in a grocery store. In 1955 I would have much rather had the 50 cents in my pocket monthly instead of dues. I attended one union meeting where they were proposing going on strike. It was amazing to see the "Union" leaders in various positions on the floor shouting their views, "rallying" up the members. Such a waste of time. But that is only MY opinion. My dad was union, and worked for Reed and Prince in Worcester MA. In 1948-49 time frame they went on strike for higher wages. Dad drew some union money and unemployment for a very short time, then we were without and it was near a year that the strike lasted. After having worked for 17 years at Reed and Prince, he was forced to take another job so we could live. it was a few months later that workers at Reed and Prince went back to work. He could not join them because he had taken another job and it was considered not supporting the union. He lost his 17 year longevity. No, I'm not for unions, and if you are, then that is for you.

With that said, the report states that Hostess had $2.5 billion in sales annually, providing 500 million Twinkies and 127 million loaves of Wonder bread making it the 2nd bread maker in the country.

Not withstanding the unions position of not taking an 8% cut, it is also, as stated, the financiers that strip a goodly portion of the money from the profits. In my opinion it is not only the foolish union who now has 18,000+ workers out of work, but the greed of the corporate management that rapes the money from the company.

Maybe 18,000+ works can take over the company. Would that work?

[PDR John]

Originally Posted by dsbike

And when the unions are no longer hear in the US. Management and some bean counters will decide that the 40 hour work week is no longer good enough. You no longer deserve a paid vacation, sick time, pension, health benifits, etc, etc. Your children or grandchildren will be out of work and the bread winner in the family will be 12 seeyears old. Then you will ask yourself what went wrong in this country.
All of these benifits that the average blue collar worker and middle to lower management enjoy and take for granted today was fought for very hard with our forefathers blood. Most of you whom have responded here so far would like to see this all taken away just for the right to have a job.
I for one will fight for what I have earned and my fair share of the profits I have helped build in the company I work for. I am a union member and I have been for 34 years. I have seen some bad, but mostly fair treatment of hourly employees within my company due to the presence of this union. I have seen the nonunion sectors of this company treated very poorly. Our company has gone though 2 bankruptcies and the employees , myself included has taken several pay cuts. I am now making less today per hour than in 1992. Has the cost of living stayed the same or decreased since then? No. My company has seen record profits for the past 8 quarters. Our union is now in negotiations and we have been 23 months without a contract, should we tell the union to just stay status quo because I am happy I have a job, or should at least try to get an increase close to the cost of living increase? I think the latter.
So the next time you say that unions will be the death of this country, think about where that will take us.
Sorry for the long rant, but I have found that most people who put down organized labor haven't a clue what they are asking for.

What are your union leaders income? How does that compare with yours? Have they had any raises during the time when you have not?

I'm not arguing with you, just curious. Nobody ever answers these questions.

I am not union, never felt the need to join. I'm self employed. I don't have a problem making more then minimum wage, or paying for my health care.. etc. Even in today's economy.

[TdogKing]

Trying to talk with some people is well...might as well be talking to a Twinkie. They don't answer your post but quote what you've said. There is so much more to Twinkie's demise than we will ever really knowor care to know, but somehow some people seem to have all the inside information, I think if you were to look in their ears you would see...yup...Twinkie Cream...How did that get in there ?

[Tha_Rooster]

I wander how long the union will pay them, in this economy they should have been happy with their job now they have nothing. I think hostess did the right thing I believe a worker should only get what they deserve not what someone else says they should make and it looks like they got it.

[Superslif]

A little FYI here. The Teamster local I belong to, we share our Pension fund and our Health & Welfare fund with the Bakers Union where the Hostess plants are here in Northern Ohio. At our monthly meeting this morning our local president said Hostess should have closed 10 years ago with the management group running it into the ground. They stopped paying into the funds a year ago...He went on to say there are buyers looking at different parts of the company. Trust me the Twinkies, Zingers & Ho-Ho's....will be made again...

I sense a little union bashing here...I have been a proud Teamster Union member for 28 years. Where I work, many employees end up with knees, hips being replaced for what 38 - 42k a year...I have worked 28 years on nights...when people are sleeping, I'm unloading grocery freight off trucks....I'm tired of being tired....Can't tell ya how many fellow employees have put in 40+ years, but can't retire because of poor pension amount. So many I see that their bodies are plain worn out, walk with a limp....Maybe I should have worked for a non-union Wally-World....Maybe I could afford a tent or a used pop-up....

The only reason I plan to retire in 3-4 years is I started my IRA in my early teens....

[flaggship1]

I haven't lived in these parts long - but long enough to know there are some hot buttons here and unions are a big red one. There are others.

The folks here seem to get along really well until somebody hits a button. It's kind of sad we don't just let these go by when they're posted cause you can see it coming for miles. I have let friendships go with people that knew my hot buttons and thought it was funny to push them. I ignored them at first. Warned them second. And blocked them from my email and cut them from my schedule third.

I'm going to implement phase 1 and ignore the hot button posts. I want to live here and might as well keep my opinions on such things to myself, lest I be fed bad electrical advice for holding the "wrong opinion" on some issue.

Y'all take care now and have at it. But for the record - the world isn't coming to an end over Hostess, regardless of who or what is to blame. Just one guys opinion. If I'm proven wrong - somebody hand me that red wire.

[DonDee]

Top Secret Recipes | Hostess Twinkie Recipe

[dsbike]

Originally Posted by PDR John

What are your union leaders income? How does that compare with yours? Have they had any raises during the time when you have not?

I'm not arguing with you, just curious. Nobody ever answers these questions.

I am not union, never felt the need to join. I'm self employed. I don't have a problem making more then minimum wage, or paying for my health care.. etc. Even in today's economy.

Depending on their position, their wages are the same or higher. Those on my level that are Representatives of the union but also workers in the same position as I am are the same. Those that negotiate our contracts, I do believe are 1.5x my wages. I do not know if they have had a raise in the past. Don't get me wrong, I have had 1-3% raises over the past 20 years per year, however my pay cuts have been more than that over the same period of time.
I must agree that unions do not always do whats best, but for the most part they do treat every man & woman the same. Can't say as much for our management.
Enough said, I said my piece and you may or may not agree with me. That is ok. the last I checked we live in a free country. I pray that it stays that way.

[tncruiser]

to quote a recently elected official
"you did't build that company"
i post this because so many workers think they should manage these companies poor management may be what delivered the results but woker manage companies seem to fail even faster
brianj

[palehorse89]

Everyone here seems to want to blame the union? those 18,000 people voted themselfs to get to this point, the union reps. did not vote to do this, the workers did. And now for the last part, that union body as a whole just lost big time...... they now do not have dues from 18,000 union workers coming in. All in all everyone involved lost here.

[georgetown350]

Anti Union people always blame the unions even when they have no clue as to what happened. It sounds to me like this company was crashing and wanted to take all they could off the backs of the workers before closing the doors. Common practice.

[wildtoad]

Originally Posted by Superslif

The only reason I plan to retire in 3-4 years is I started my IRA in my early teens....

There you go. Just what everyone should do.

I too think the Twinkie brand will continue. Some company or group will buy the trademarks, recipes, contracts and produce them with their existing plants.

[DonavonP]

Union Facts: Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers & Grain Millers (BCTGMI) Profile, Membership, Leaders, Political Operations, etc.

Click on "Leaders and Salaries"