Hostess LIquidation expected friday - goodbye Tweenkies!

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**Frazzled**

Evidently they did have a shelf life after all.

http://www.kwch.com/business/kwch-hostess-ceo-gives-striking-workers-thursday-deadline-20121114,0,2860295.story

Hostess liquidation decision expected Friday
Hostess has not made any official announcement beyond the CEO's statement. Any update on liquidation would come on Friday.

Eyewitness News has learned insurance, health and welfare benefits for striking workers have been cancelled.

Workers are protesting a contract imposed by a bankruptcy court. The contract calls for an 8 percent pay cut in addition to health care and pension changes. The bakers union has called the contract "outrageous."

A liquidation would result in some 18,000 workers losing their jobs and an uncertain future for American icons Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Wonder Bread.

Over the weekend, workers in the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union, or BCTGM, went on strike at Hostess-owned plants in several states. The strike includes workers at the Dolly Madison plant in Emporia, Kansas.

Hostess filed for bankruptcy in January, the second time it has done so since 2004.

Union employees in Emporia say in August of last year the company stopped giving them their pension earning. They say it now wants to cut wages by eight percent.

"You put in the time, you put in the years, I mean, we all have dedicated our lives to the company and they just don't appreciate it," said one striking worker.

Steven Blakey says he he was looking forward to retiring from the company. He says what's going on now hurts not just him, but his family as well.

"I spent 30 years of my life, missed a lot of time with my family, now it's time for me to enjoy that time and I have to keep working, I'm missing out on a lot." said Blakey.

The Dolly Madison plant in Emporia is one of the city's largest employers.

On Tuesday, Hostess said it will permanently close bakeries in Seattle, St. Louis and Cincinnati. Those three plants employ 627 people combined. The strike is impacting 24 of Hostess' 33 plants.

If a resolution is not reached, Hostess said it will file the motion to liquidate Friday followed by a hearing on Monday. If the bankruptcy court approve the liquidation, Hostess could begin closing operations on Tuesday.

Hostess has been around since 1930. In addition to labor issues, the company also faces ever-growing competition and an American public who are becoming more health conscious.

Click for More on History of Hostess

Hostess brands include Wonder, Nature's Pride, Dolly Madison, Drake's, Butternut, Home Pride and Merita.

**Mr. Burning**

Frazzled wrote:
Evidently they did have a shelf life after all.

http://www.kwch.com/business/kwch-hostess-ceo-gives-striking-workers-thursday-deadline-20121114,0,2860295.story

Hostess liquidation decision expected Friday
Hostess has not made any official announcement beyond the CEO's statement. Any update on liquidation would come on Friday.

Eyewitness News has learned insurance, health and welfare benefits for striking workers have been cancelled.

Workers are protesting a contract imposed by a bankruptcy court. The contract calls for an 8 percent pay cut in addition to health care and pension changes. The bakers union has called the contract "outrageous."

A liquidation would result in some 18,000 workers losing their jobs and an uncertain future for American icons Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Wonder Bread.

Over the weekend, workers in the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union, or BCTGM, went on strike at Hostess-owned plants in several states. The strike includes workers at the Dolly Madison plant in Emporia, Kansas.

Hostess filed for bankruptcy in January, the second time it has done so since 2004.

Union employees in Emporia say in August of last year the company stopped giving them their pension earning. They say it now wants to cut wages by eight percent.

"You put in the time, you put in the years, I mean, we all have dedicated our lives to the company and they just don't appreciate it," said one striking worker.

Steven Blakey says he he was looking forward to retiring from the company. He says what's going on now hurts not just him, but his family as well.

"I spent 30 years of my life, missed a lot of time with my family, now it's time for me to enjoy that time and I have to keep working, I'm missing out on a lot." said Blakey.

The Dolly Madison plant in Emporia is one of the city's largest employers.

On Tuesday, Hostess said it will permanently close bakeries in Seattle, St. Louis and Cincinnati. Those three plants employ 627 people combined. The strike is impacting 24 of Hostess' 33 plants.

If a resolution is not reached, Hostess said it will file the motion to liquidate Friday followed by a hearing on Monday. If the bankruptcy court approve the liquidation, Hostess could begin closing operations on Tuesday.

Hostess has been around since 1930. In addition to labor issues, the company also faces ever-growing competition and an American public who are becoming more health conscious.

Click for More on History of Hostess

Hostess brands include Wonder, Nature's Pride, Dolly Madison, Drake's, Butternut, Home Pride and Merita.

Clever Union, 8% paycut NO! we well cut our wonderbread noses off to spite our faces.

18,000 workers will be glorious martyrs to our indomitable spirit!

**Tibbsy**

Spoiler:

It had to be posted I'm afraid

Whoops, didn't notice the language in the picture... Spoiler'd

**Frazzled**

NPR is reporting it this morning. Sounds official now. BYE BYE TWEEKNIE GOODNESS!!!!

I remember touring a tweeknie plant as a kid. :(

**nomsheep**

Noooooooo, I never even got to try them.

**AustonT**

If the pay cut was court ordered, why the feth did they strike in the first place? And who fething strikes for thier benefits knowning the outcome is LOSING THIER BENEFITS.
Jar Jar no undastand.

**snurl**

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

**Mr. Burning**

AustonT wrote:
If the pay cut was court ordered, why the feth did they strike in the first place? And who fething strikes for thier benefits knowning the outcome is LOSING THIER BENEFITS.
Jar Jar no undastand.

It's almost like an automatic response. Workers benefits affected STRIKE! (Workers benefits, i.e: employment, affected).

There's probably more to it that that but I'm happy not knowing all the facts. Damn unions are costing me a transatlantic sugar treat.

I suppose it was about time that wonder bread stopped being so...wonderous to consumers.

**AustonT**

Mr. Burning wrote:
AustonT wrote:
If the pay cut was court ordered, why the feth did they strike in the first place? And who fething strikes for thier benefits knowning the outcome is LOSING THIER BENEFITS.
Jar Jar no undastand.

It's almost like an automatic response. Workers benefits affected STRIKE! (Workers benefits, i.e: employment, affected).

There's probably more to it that that but I'm happy not knowing all the facts. Damn unions are costing me a transatlantic sugar treat.

I suppose it was about time that wonder bread stopped being so...wonderous to consumers.

No, I get strikes when there's something to negotiate with your employer. But if this line of the story is true

Workers are protesting a contract imposed by a bankruptcy court.

Then that's moronic, they aren't going to negotiate with the bankruptcy court.

**LordofHats**

With Auston on this one. Anyone have any other details? This sounds like stupidity of the highest order. Someone must have divided zero.

**Easy E**

So, no one else is going to buy the rights to Twinkie and use it later?

Huh.

**Frazzled**

AustonT wrote:
Mr. Burning wrote:
AustonT wrote:
If the pay cut was court ordered, why the feth did they strike in the first place? And who fething strikes for thier benefits knowning the outcome is LOSING THIER BENEFITS.
Jar Jar no undastand.

It's almost like an automatic response. Workers benefits affected STRIKE! (Workers benefits, i.e: employment, affected).

There's probably more to it that that but I'm happy not knowing all the facts. Damn unions are costing me a transatlantic sugar treat.

I suppose it was about time that wonder bread stopped being so...wonderous to consumers.

No, I get strikes when there's something to negotiate with your employer. But if this line of the story is true

Workers are protesting a contract imposed by a bankruptcy court.

Then that's moronic, they aren't going to negotiate with the bankruptcy court.

Indeed, that only works if you're the UAW and Obama intervenes in contravention of US law.

**Easy E**

Here's the story from CNN. I don;t recall reading the part about the Bankrutpcy court, but I may have missed it.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/11/16/news/companies/hostess-closing/index.html?iid=Lead

However, this was the best line of the story....

Bimbo Bakeries, maker of the Arnold and Stroehmann brands, is the No. 1 bread baker.

**AustonT**

Easy E you don't live near any large populations of Hispanics do you?

**Mr. Burning**

AustonT wrote:
Mr. Burning wrote:
AustonT wrote:
If the pay cut was court ordered, why the feth did they strike in the first place? And who fething strikes for thier benefits knowning the outcome is LOSING THIER BENEFITS.
Jar Jar no undastand.

It's almost like an automatic response. Workers benefits affected STRIKE! (Workers benefits, i.e: employment, affected).

There's probably more to it that that but I'm happy not knowing all the facts. Damn unions are costing me a transatlantic sugar treat.

I suppose it was about time that wonder bread stopped being so...wonderous to consumers.

No, I get strikes when there's something to negotiate with your employer. But if this line of the story is true

Workers are protesting a contract imposed by a bankruptcy court.

Then that's moronic, they aren't going to negotiate with the bankruptcy court.

Ah of course, like fighting the tide kind of thing? Seems pretty stupid., to put yourself on the line for something that has to be done?

**KalashnikovMarine**

And nothing of value was lost. Well except for the jobs

**whembly**

They'll be bought out...
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/NATL-Twinkies-Maker-Hostess-Going-Out-of-Business-179643161.html

Hostess, the makers of Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Wonder Bread, is going out of business after striking workers failed to heed a Thursday deadline to return to work, the company said.

“We deeply regret the necessity of today’s decision, but we do not have the financial resources to weather an extended nationwide strike,” Hostess CEO Gregory F. Rayburn said in announcing that the firm had filed a motion with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to shutter its business. “Hostess Brands will move promptly to lay off most of its 18,500-member workforce and focus on selling its assets to the highest bidders.”

Hostess Brands Inc. had earlier warned employees that it would file to unwind its business and sell off assets if plant operations didn’t return to normal levels by 5 p.m. Thursday. In announcing its decision, Hostess said its wind down would mean the closure of 33 bakeries, 565 distribution centers, approximately 5,500 delivery routes and 570 bakery outlet stores in the United States.

Hostess suspended bakery operations at all its factories and said its stores will remain open for several days to sell already-baked products.

That's a lot of residual jobs too...

**Lt. Coldfire**

Unions make the world go 'round. Forward to hope and change.

**Frazzled**

Easy E wrote:
Here's the story from CNN. I don;t recall reading the part about the Bankrutpcy court, but I may have missed it.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/11/16/news/companies/hostess-closing/index.html?iid=Lead

However, this was the best line of the story....

Bimbo Bakeries, maker of the Arnold and Stroehmann brands, is the No. 1 bread baker.

Whats the problem? Bimbo is a big bakery with roots in Latin America (its owner is a Mexican company), hence the name. Good bread and some nice snacks too!

**warpcrafter**

Nobody eats white bread any more, and less people eat junk food. It's just the inevitable tide of history, like a glacier. Perhaps they should switch to making those dodgy dietary supplements that everybody is hooked on.

**Frazzled**

warpcrafter wrote:
Nobody eats white bread any more, and less people eat junk food. It's just the inevitable tide of history, like a glacier. Perhaps they should switch to making those dodgy dietary supplements that everybody is hooked on.

Strange. People say the US population eats less junk food, yet obesity rates continue to climb...

**Lt. Coldfire**

Frazzled wrote:
warpcrafter wrote:
Nobody eats white bread any more, and less people eat junk food. It's just the inevitable tide of history, like a glacier. Perhaps they should switch to making those dodgy dietary supplements that everybody is hooked on.

Strange. People say the US population eats less junk food, yet obesity rates continue to climb...

Closet eaters.

**Da Boss**

You'll still be a lardass if you eat too much salad and wholemeal bread

**Vulcan**

Those who can AFFORD to are eating better. The working poor are stuck with what they can afford... and have time to prepare, given that they need to work THREE part-time jobs to make ends meet anymore - two to live on and one to pay off the health insurance racketeers.

**Testify**

Frazzled wrote:
warpcrafter wrote:
Nobody eats white bread any more, and less people eat junk food. It's just the inevitable tide of history, like a glacier. Perhaps they should switch to making those dodgy dietary supplements that everybody is hooked on.

Strange. People say the US population eats less junk food, yet obesity rates continue to climb...

If you eat more calories than you expand, you'll gain weight. Doesn't matter if those calories are from mars bars, coca cola, pasta or wheatbran.

**warpcrafter**

Also it's the soda, which is full of high fructose corn syrup, which screws up the metabolism. I am trying to rid it from my diet, but it's hard. I've switched to one of those "Throwback" sodas, which are made with regular sugar. It seems to be working, since it's not as good as the high-fructose corn syrup variety and so I drink less. If it weren't for my back problems I could work out and lose more weight, but that's the way it goes.

**Crazy_Carnifex**

And America gets a little healthier...

**Testify**

warpcrafter wrote:
Also it's the soda, which is full of high fructose corn syrup, which screws up the metabolism. I am trying to rid it from my diet, but it's hard. I've switched to one of those "Throwback" sodas, which are made with regular sugar. It seems to be working, since it's not as good as the high-fructose corn syrup variety and so I drink less. If it weren't for my back problems I could work out and lose more weight, but that's the way it goes.

Working out doesn't make you drop the weight, cardio does. Working out burns naff all calories.

It also doesn't matter if you literally just lie in bed all day. If you burn more calories than you consume, you'll lose weight. You shouldn't really be having sugary drinks *at all*. If you're eating calories make sure it at least fills you up.

**Lint**

Little Debbie does it better anyway....

**AustonT**

Vulcan wrote:Those who can AFFORD to are eating better. The working poor are stuck with what they can afford... and have time to prepare, given that they need to work THREE part-time jobs to make ends meet anymore - two to live on and one to pay off the health insurance racketeers.

This has nothing to do with this thread.