Author Topic: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands  (Read 14905 times)

RevDisk

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #25 on: November 16, 2012, 04:49:54 PM »
An article i read this morning (can't find it now) said that the Teamsters had been close to settlement, and looked into the financials.  Saw that there was no bluff and agreed to more cuts.  A smaller non-teamster union held out, and more or less told the teamsters to shove it, they made their own decisions, and refused to the agreement that teamsters and management had reached.

Guess they weren't bluffing...

Yep. When the Teamsters are the voice of reason, you know things went sideways. It was the Baker's Union that held out. Their website is exclusively blaming management (maybe true, maybe not). 

http://bctgm.org/

Interesting how the details are not mentioned.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/11/16/news/companies/hostess-closing/

Quote
The new contract cut salaries across the company by 8% in the first year of the five-year agreement. Salaries were then scheduled to bump up 3% in the next three years and 1% in the final year.

Hostess also reduced its pension obligations and its contribution to the employees' health care plan. In exchange, the company offered concessions, including a 25% equity stake for workers and the inclusion of two union representatives on an eight-member board of directors
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ramis

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #26 on: November 16, 2012, 05:35:26 PM »
Lots of moving parts involved with this.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2012-11-16/hostess-liquidation-curious-cast-characters-twinkie-tumbles

Quote
More importantly, however, as America has been habituated following the last season of the reality TV show known as the presidential election, if Private Equity then "bad." Only this time there is a twist: because it wasn't really PE that was the pure evil in the Obama long-term campaign, it was associating PE with Republicans, and thus: with jobs outsourcing. And here comes the Hostess twist: because Tim Collins of Ripplewood, was a prominent Democrat, a position which allowed him to get involved in the first bankruptcy process in the first place, due to his proximity with the Teamsters' long-term heartthrob Dick Gephardt (whose consulting group just happens to also be an equity owner of Hostess).
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Perd Hapley

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #27 on: November 16, 2012, 06:39:16 PM »
I cant stand it when people wont pay attention to the program. Its schools and restaurents that cant be allowed to have junk food but its a-ok for people on welfare to buy cartloads of junk food b/c they dont have time during their busy schedule of not working and sitting on their asses. Make sure you always have a current copy of the Leftist Agenda so youre always caught up.

There's been an update to the agenda. Poor people can't eat nutritious food, because they live in food deserts. Such places exist because heartless capitalists only build stores where profits outweigh crime rates. Those racists.
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Scout26

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #28 on: November 16, 2012, 06:48:52 PM »
Quote
Hostess also reduced its pension obligations and its contribution to the employees' health care plan.

But, but, but.....Obamacare fixed this.  Health insurance rates are going down.  He's bending the cost curve down.  He said so in the debate.


 ;) ;/ :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Lee

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #29 on: November 16, 2012, 07:46:00 PM »
Twinks owned by Grupo Bimbo?  I'd think they would buy Ho Ho.   >:D

http://money.cnn.com/2012/11/16/investing/hostess-twinkies-wonder-bread/index.html?iid=obnetwork
The Twinkies' unit will probably attract the most potential bidders. Mexican bread company Grupo Bimbo

MillCreek

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #30 on: November 16, 2012, 08:08:43 PM »
The lead story on the 5 pm Seattle TV news is that Hostess products are flying off the shelves.  People checking out with carts full of boxes of Twinkies, etc.
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Lee

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #31 on: November 16, 2012, 08:28:29 PM »
Fortunately, they have a shelf life of about ten thousand years anyway.

kgbsquirrel

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #32 on: November 16, 2012, 09:00:08 PM »
Fortunately, they have a shelf life of about ten thousand years anyway.

http://youtu.be/M1vYj0E2Hr0

RoadKingLarry

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #33 on: November 16, 2012, 10:03:42 PM »
One of the plants is in Tulsa, I used to drive by it about every day when I worked in Tulsa. The property looks run down and kind of tacky. Interviews with the workers report that the plant is in poor shape and maintenance and repairs have been deferred to the point of poor reliability and safety issues. The employees had already been subject to pay and benefit cuts prior to this contract which would have made deeper cuts,
Yeah the union may have been cutting their noses off to spite their face but from local word management pretty well screwed the pooch as well.

Just my opinion but if you can't make a profit selling Twinkies and Wonder Bread you're doing something wrong.
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Marnoot

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #34 on: November 16, 2012, 10:06:18 PM »
Just my opinion but if you can't make a profit selling Twinkies and Wonder Bread you're doing something wrong.

I think Twinkies aren't actually selling too well with the more health-consciousness of recent years. I believe that's a standard issue across all snack categories. Wonder bread you may be right, though I can't stand it, personally.

roo_ster

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #35 on: November 16, 2012, 10:49:16 PM »
Quote
Twinkies survived the great depression but couldn't survive Obama.

Not mine, but I wish it was.
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French G.

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #36 on: November 17, 2012, 03:13:03 PM »
I work very close to a major McKee plant, I'm guessing this is good for Little Debbie. Screw Twinkies, but you can have my Swiss Rolls when you pry them from my cold, dead, sticky, and overweight hands.
AKA Navy Joe   

I'm so contrarian that I didn't respond to the thread.

erictank

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #37 on: November 17, 2012, 05:17:16 PM »
The lead story on the 5 pm Seattle TV news is that Hostess products are flying off the shelves.  People checking out with carts full of boxes of Twinkies, etc.

Saw a friend on FB post that boxes of Twinkies are going for as much as $50 in DC.  :facepalm:

longeyes

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #38 on: November 17, 2012, 05:45:46 PM »
One more alternative currency.  Excellent.
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RoadKingLarry

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #39 on: November 17, 2012, 09:52:41 PM »
I work very close to a major McKee plant, I'm guessing this is good for Little Debbie. Screw Twinkies, but you can have my Swiss Rolls when you pry them from my cold, dead, sticky, and overweight hands.

Preach it brother, preach it!
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.

Samuel Adams

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #40 on: November 18, 2012, 12:48:59 PM »
Well, I like Mexican Coca Cola better than American coke, so maybe this would be a good thing. Plus it hits a couple of cultural zones.

1) Mexicans stepping in to do the work Americans won't do.
2) "Bimbos buy Twinkies" would be an awesome headline.  :lol:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/11/18/will-twinkies-prove-sweet-deal-for-mexican-billionaire/
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Myself

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #41 on: November 18, 2012, 02:56:00 PM »
I have been following this story somewhat dispassionatly as I don't really care about twinkies anyway.  This afternoon I learned Drakes was also an owned brand!!!

NO MORE RING DINGS!!!!!

Oh Lord the Gov't better do something.  I won't make it without ring dings.
« Last Edit: November 18, 2012, 03:54:15 PM by Myself »

longeyes

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #42 on: November 18, 2012, 03:00:28 PM »
Too stale to fail.
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birdman

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #43 on: November 18, 2012, 05:08:04 PM »
I will miss Ho-Hos

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birdman

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #45 on: November 18, 2012, 05:27:44 PM »
Did high sugar tariffs play a part in Hostess' demise?

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2012/1116/Did-Congress-kill-the-Twinkie-The-tariff-tale-behind-the-Hostess-demise.-video



Nah, they already switched a bunch of the sugar to HFCS, and could always shift more.

Frank Castle

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #46 on: November 18, 2012, 05:55:35 PM »
Hostess Continues Pattern Of Misinformation

Quote
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.

Interesting





http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/13/4983174/hostess-continues-pattern-of-misinformation.html#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy

Scout26

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #47 on: November 18, 2012, 08:03:59 PM »
Not quite misinformation.  Let's say that they paid all the top people what sounds like to be ~$2.5million to stay.  Last year they had sales of $2.5 Billion.  So you're saying that it's not worth .1% (.001) of sales to try to retain the people you think can lead the company to solvency?

If you know the company is circling the drain, everyone starts heading toward the lifeboats.  Having your key people bail is not a good thing to happen when you are trying to save the ship.   I know, I was there.  One company I worked for started to lose sales, people started heading for the door.  Things got worse.  As the warehouse/logistics guy, I was offered a 50% raise to stay.  I turned it down.  They offered me a 100% raise and a "Stay-on" Bonus.  Couple of other folks also got a huge raise to stay, but the writing was on the wall. The Production Manager and some of his folks got big money, to turn as much raw material as possible into Finished Goods to sell.  A couple of Sales folks to sell all the stuff, including all the equipment.  The Maintenance Manager and some of his wrench monkeys.  The job lasted about 6 months.  Once Production was done, he turned in his keys and all the files of his people.  Once the Sales folks were done, they turned in their keys and signed off on their files.  Once all the machinery and equipment was gone, the Maintenance guy brought in his keys and the files on his people.  Once I shipped out the last stuff from the warehouse, I fired my last forklift driver, then sat at a table and went through the motions of firing myself.  

Me:"Well, you know why I called you in here don't you?"
Myself: "No, what's going on?  Did I miss a memo?"
Me: "The company's shutting down and we're going to have to let you go."
Myself: "What?!?!  Why?!?!  I've been a good employee, never been late, always work hard..."
Me: "Sales have been waaaaaayyyyy down, we're letting everyone go..."
Etc, etc, etc.

Anyone that would have walked in would have been quite confused as to what was going on.  

Anywho.  I finished firing myself, finished up the paperwork showing that the warehouse was empty (and clean), did a walk through with the building owner, got him to sign off, then went and dropped off all the timecards, paperwork, and employee files at the lawyers office and went home to look for a new job.  

I got 30% of my last paycheck and 10% of my "Stay-on" bonus.  


So before you jump on them for "SEE!!!  GREED!!!  1%!!!!  EVIL!!!"  it may because you need their leadership to try to save it.  And it looks like they might have, had the Baker's Union agreed to the temporary cuts.   Like Rev said, when the Teamster's are the voice of reason*, you know things are FUBAR.



*I worked as a supervisor in Teamster shop, Local 705 Chicago Independent "We don't work and you can't make us."   I could tell them the sky is blue and one of the shop stewards would file a grievance that I was doing union work (TV weatherman).  ;/


« Last Edit: November 18, 2012, 08:54:03 PM by scout26 »
Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants won't help.


Bring me my Broadsword and a clear understanding.
Get up to the roundhouse on the cliff-top standing.
Take women and children and bed them down.
Bless with a hard heart those that stand with me.
Bless the women and children who firm our hands.
Put our backs to the north wind.
Hold fast by the river.
Sweet memories to drive us on,
for the motherland.

Scout26

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #48 on: November 18, 2012, 08:59:45 PM »
http://www.bctgm.org/PDFs/HostessPressRelease11-16-12.pdf

Quote
“Throughout this long and difficult process, BCTGM members showed tremendous courage,
solidarity and devotion to principle. They were well aware of the potential consequences of their
actions but stood strong for dignity, justice and respect.”

I hope the grocery store will take dignity, justice and respect in payment.
Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants won't help.


Bring me my Broadsword and a clear understanding.
Get up to the roundhouse on the cliff-top standing.
Take women and children and bed them down.
Bless with a hard heart those that stand with me.
Bless the women and children who firm our hands.
Put our backs to the north wind.
Hold fast by the river.
Sweet memories to drive us on,
for the motherland.

birdman

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Re: Goodbye Twinkie, Killed by Snoball of Labor Demands
« Reply #49 on: November 18, 2012, 09:01:37 PM »
http://www.bctgm.org/PDFs/HostessPressRelease11-16-12.pdf

I hope the grocery store will take dignity, justice and respect in payment.

No, but with that currency, you can get a government handout.