No more twinkies or hostess cupcakes or wonder bread???*UPDATE*

[Reality Orlando]

Oh, no! I love driving past Meritta on I-4 near downtown Orlando and getting a whiff of baking bread. It's iconic from my perspective at least. I guess this is going to be very far reaching. Not only for those who actually work for Hostess and its subsidiaries, but also all the local business they support like mechanics, fuel stations etc.

Orlando's Merita Bread could shut down following Hostess bankruptcy filing

"Because of the strike, Hostess said it's closing down its factories and laying off thousands of employees, including about 300 in Orlando."

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/merita-bread-orlando-may-shut-its-door-following-h/nS787/

 

[JeannaT]

In my opinion, this has two parts:

1. Hostess was losing market share quickly due to the availability of better tasting healthier snacks. Really, those prepackaged baked items are SO unhealthy and frankly just don't taste that good. When there are bakeries inside virtually every super market, and even large gas stations have nice snack options for families on the road, Hostess was losing out.

2. I think this will be a very valuable lesson for unions, and hopefully will encourage other businesses to follow suit and not allow their workers to wreck the business.

 

[tk71texas]

get yours now....only 250k :great:


http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...id=p2045573.m570.l1313&_nkw=twinkies&_sacat=0

 

[jjenny]

get yours now....only 250k :great:


http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...id=p2045573.m570.l1313&_nkw=twinkies&_sacat=0

Amazingly, nobody snapped it up yet.

 

[Strawberry Fields]

Amazingly, nobody snapped it up yet.

Well 34 1/2 years ago, I may have had to get a loan and snap up one of these "deals" on the Twinkies. When I was pregnant, I planned my route to and from work in order that in the morning, on my way to work, I'd go one way so I could stop at this country type store where I'd buy myself two 2-paks of Twinkies and on the way back home in the evening I came home another way in order to go through a Wendy's drive thru and I'd get 2 orders of Wendy's french fries. I cannot recall where we saw this, but recently my DH and I was somewhere and on the menu they were selling fried Twinkies! We did not think that sounded good, so we passed on those.

 

[Blue_Dolphin308]

I don't care about twinkies going away...but wonder bread? That's the only white bread sold at my grocery store! The other breads are rye, pumpernickel, sesame, etc. I don't know an alternative to Wonder Bread!!

I've never had a twinkie in my life...

What about Maiers bread??

 

[Blue_Dolphin308]

here, in my part of Texas, we have white bread called ...

wait for it...

"bimbo bread" lol

Snipped by me. Bimbo Bakeries makes Maiers bread they also make Stroehmannbread. I had a route at one time and we packed their products out on shelves.

 

[Reality Orlando]

Wow, seems like they were earning a lot of money. I've never earned $20 an hour in my life. I feel really bad for the non-striking workers. It seems they were against the actions and are now losing their jobs as well. So unfair especially since many of them were making almost $100,000! I'd be pretty peeved right now.

"Many production workers earned up to $20 an hour, plus had access to medical benefits, according to Michael O'Brien, a former Hostess employee who had worked at the company for 45 years, in various sales functions, before he was offered a buyout last year.

"People inside the plants really made a good living," O'Brien said. "I feel sorry for them."
The company has struggled to keep up with competition and keep peace with its union workers. A recent bakers strike was the final nail in the coffin, the company said.

"We deeply regret taking this action," the company said. "Widespread strikes by the Bakers Union forced us to cease operations because we can longer produce or delivery product."

"According to a letter sent to employees, workers will not receive severance pay or pay for unused vacation time. Hostess is directing employees to COBRA for continuing medical insurance coverage."

"Striking workers are not entitled to unemployment benefits in most states, but those workers who were not striking will likely have some access to weekly benefit checks.

"Meanwhile job opportunities at Hostess competitors are hardly plentiful. "The industry has overcapacity. We're overcapacity. Our rivals are overcapacity," Hostess CEO Gregory Rayburn said in an interview on CNBC. At least 5,000 of the laid-off workers worked in food production and were represented by the Bakers Union."

"...Another 6,700 Hostess workers were represented by the Teamsters, a union that was sharply critical of the Bakers' decision to strike. Those jobs largely include truckers, many who both transported and sold Hostess products.

Trucking is a higher paying field, offering a national average of $22 an hour. Including base pay and commission, Hostess Teamsters workers could have earned between $50,000 to $100,000 a year, said O'Brien."

http://money.cnn.com/2012/11/16/news/economy/hostess-jobs/index.html

 

[wishuwerehere]

Hostess Continues Pattern Of Misinformation

“BCTGM members are well aware that as the company was preparing to file for bankruptcy earlier this year, the then CEO of Hostess was awarded a 300 percent raise (from approximately $750,000 to $2,550,000) and at least nine other top executives of the company received massive pay raises. One such executive received a pay increase from $500,000 to $900,000 and another received one taking his salary from $375,000 to $656,256.”


No Cupcake: Workers Turn Down Bad Deal from Hostess

“Accepting new concessions would provide no guarantee of job security. In fact, management wanted the unions to agree to the closure of 10-12 plants (of its choosing) as part of a new contract. This means that many of the company’s 18,000 workers would soon have been laid off even if the workers had accepted management’s terms.”

Much more at links.

 

[scorekeeper]

Hostess Continues Pattern Of Misinformation

“BCTGM members are well aware that as the company was preparing to file for bankruptcy earlier this year, the then CEO of Hostess was awarded a 300 percent raise (from approximately $750,000 to $2,550,000) and at least nine other top executives of the company received massive pay raises. One such executive received a pay increase from $500,000 to $900,000 and another received one taking his salary from $375,000 to $656,256.”


No Cupcake: Workers Turn Down Bad Deal from Hostess

“Accepting new concessions would provide no guarantee of job security. In fact, management wanted the unions to agree to the closure of 10-12 plants (of its choosing) as part of a new contract. This means that many of the company’s 18,000 workers would soon have been laid off even if the workers had accepted management’s terms.”

Much more at links.

As usual, the top officials raise their salaries and drain the company....then blames the union for their downfall.......this is what big business does

this is not the fault of the unions!!

 

[my2sense]

Please tell me Funny Bones aren't made by Hostess... lease:

 

[katydid23]

shelves empty

http://www.kcci.com/news/project-ec...ced/-/9356884/17439172/-/5mqru3z/-/index.html

I KNOW. LOL

I actually just went searching because my 24 yr old wanted us to have a little Twinkie party. He never really had them too often but my mom used to give them to the kids when they visited her. So my kids said they wanted some before they closed down the bakery. I went to four major grocery stores and no twinkies anywhere. I did get a few Hostess Pies and CupCakes. That will have to do. :smile:

 

[jjenny]

As usual, the top officials raise their salaries and drain the company....then blames the union for their downfall.......this is what big business does

this is not the fault of the unions!!

Yep, huge raises for executive. Why do that if company is on the verge of bankruptcy?

 

[katydid23]

In my opinion, this has two parts:

1. Hostess was losing market share quickly due to the availability of better tasting healthier snacks. Really, those prepackaged baked items are SO unhealthy and frankly just don't taste that good. When there are bakeries inside virtually every super market, and even large gas stations have nice snack options for families on the road, Hostess was losing out.

2. I think this will be a very valuable lesson for unions, and hopefully will encourage other businesses to follow suit and not allow their workers to wreck the business.

BBM

I agree with that. I used to buy my kids sugary treats for snack time, but I could not justify giving them twinkles. Really unhealthy and not worth the damage done. I would much rather make them 'real' cupcakes myself from better ingredients than give them that glop of hydrogenated oil surrounded by dry spongy stuff.

But I sure did try hard to find some tonight because we were going to have them for dessert for old times sake. LOL Everyone was sold out.

 

[mikkismom]

FWIW, my ex is a member of the Baker's union. I don't see the benefit. They did away with his job because of competition from other sweet-goods manufacturers (like Hostess). He had enough seniority to get another job with the same company. Seems like they shoot themselves in the foot kwim?

jmo

 

[HMSHood]

Twinkies were okay. More of a Hostess Cup Cake fan.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Make the iconic cakes at home with a copy-cat version that's just as sweet

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38681430/ns/today-food/t/ho-ho-no-fate-twinkies-uncertain-try-recipe/

 

[JeannaT]

BBM

I agree with that. I used to buy my kids sugary treats for snack time, but I could not justify giving them twinkles. Really unhealthy and not worth the damage done. I would much rather make them 'real' cupcakes myself from better ingredients than give them that glop of hydrogenated oil surrounded by dry spongy stuff.

But I sure did try hard to find some tonight because we were going to have them for dessert for old times sake. LOL Everyone was sold out.

I totally agree. My kids like pastries, and there are some REALLY good ones out there but Hostess . . . they'd kind of stop eating in the middle of a twinkie or ding dong, and throw it in the garbage. Our grocery store now has these incredible store baked, warm muffins - with big chunky pieces of fruit or nuts, and the top crust of the muffin has this wonderful crunchy sweet consistency. Lovely. Hostess, to me, tastes like a big mouthful of saccarin wax.

 

[wfgodot]

Don’t Worry, Hostess’ Top Executives Still Got Richer As Company Collapsed (Gawker)

Like the rest of you, I've been worried sick this week about the fate of Hostess' top executives. Will they leave their bankrupt company with the millions of dollars they deserve? If not, who will provide for their families as they hit the unemployment line? Thankfully, we can all have a happy, stress-free weekend: Hostess executives gave themselves raises up to 300 percent even as they were preparing to file for bankruptcy.
---

more at the link, and also see

As Labor Talks Collapse, Hostess Turns Out Lights (dealbook.nytimes.com

 

[Betty P]

Don’t Worry, Hostess’ Top Executives Still Got Richer As Company Collapsed (Gawker)

more at the link, and also see

As Labor Talks Collapse, Hostess Turns Out Lights (dealbook.nytimes.com

That should be illegal. In fact, it may have been illegal in the US at one time.

ETA: If the company goes bankrupt, the court should turn it over to the employees. Employee owned companies do a much better job of running businesses, especially when it comes to long term profitability and security.