Originally Posted by Prins Willem

Rich you want to live forever? Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven. (Milton)

Yes, I want to live forever..I've been postponing all appointments to meet my maker....I've even been looking for vampires to help me in my quest...

-Rich.

Originally Posted by Umi_Ryuzuki

Oh, and Little Debbie is one of the subsidiaries of Hostess, or the other way round.

Nope. Little Debbie is a subsidiary of McKee Foods Corp., a wholly different animal.

Nutty Bars and Zebra Cakes live on.

[QUOTE=craig_c;23295538]Andy, et all....


I'd say that, like Samson, the employees were entitled to bring these financial Philistines' gilded temple down upon their heads, after all it had been the employees' workplace in the first place.


The Last Great Act of Defiance ...

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done before"..

Yes

Thanks to the union I lost my job in the Merchant Marine years ago.
The Union wanted more ( for us) and the company said "we'll tie up the ships and sell them off". Two weeks later the first of 6 ships were tied up.
Thanks guys!

Goes to show what being in a union can do for you.

Or to you---.

Too many companies value the bottom line to the exclusion of the employees, the product value, and the good of the company (continued existence of it). I worked in a potato processing plant (frozen, making potato products for soups and hash browns). A new set of owners bought the company (investors who knew nothing about potatoes or that business)a few years ago an effort to flip the business quickly and make a profit. When the economy turned sour they were unable to unload it for any amount of profit so they continue to run it. Bonuses were cut, days off (they run every day of the year now, do you really need hash browns on Christmas?), and shifts extended (but never over 40 hours (cannot get that overtime now)). Finally in an effort to 'cut costs' as employees reached their next pay raise evaluation their positions were 'eliminated,' rather than have to give pay raises. I worked in sanitation (cleaning, and keeping the place clean), I got let go (my position eliminated), and when I got home I got on the Job Service website and lo and behold! there was a sanitation job at that same plant (for a DOLLAR less an hour than they let me go at)! Turns out that they had done so with all the mechanics, sanitation, and fork lift drivers. Now you can save money in a potato plant in a lot of places but the three YOU CANNOT is shipping, cleaning the place (and keeping it clean), and keeping it running. They now have minimum wage forklift operators (and constant complaints about the care the products are loaded and arrive at customers), a steady threat of contract withdrawls (due to bacterial growth from the plant) from customers, and a steady problem with breakdowns (that cost them nearly an hour for every 8 they run). But the plant manager (who was hired by the investors (from a California winery)), was there to make money, he had never dealt with potato farmer (who are a pretty close knit group and like dealing with friends, and family). When the bottom line did not improve the investors fired him. Now they are on their third plant manager in the last four years (the last before they bought the company had been there 18 years and retired when they bought it).

We need to realize (both labor and management) that the good of a company (and keeping it open requires some sacrifices from all these days). If your union demands benefits that will close the place (then it is wrong), if the owners cannot treat the employees fairly (which is indeed the reason for a union) then that is also WRONG. From the sounds of things there were a lot of things wrong at Hostess, and they all caught up with them.
Foo
P.S. if you ever get sick from anything with potato products in it make sure and call the manufacturer so they know and can take care of it.

Question? Where does this "after all it had been the employees' workplace in the first place" come from? Sounds like something Vladimir Lenin or Karl Marx might have said.

An "EMPLOYEE" is hired to do a job at a set price and terms. As long as the terms of employment are met the employee should shut up and do their job as agreed to. The employer should meet those contract obligations to the best of their ability. The EMPLOYEES have no claim on the assets or profits of the company, only what they contracted to receive for services rendered. I have been a blue collar worker since 1974. In that time I have never worked in a union shop or had a desire to. I never expect more than I am promised. Also I consider it my responsibility to provide added value when my pay is raised beyond cost of living. It is silly for a company to pay more for something without getting added value in return.

In this case costs outpaced revenue and the business is no longer economically viable.

I also have a question for the union guys on here. Who protects the company from the unions? My brother was a shop steward at Tower/ A O Smith. He had to go to arbitration hearings where ex employees were trying to get their jobs back after being fired for going out at lunch and smoking a bowl in the parking lot. That ties up company execs, lawyers, and resources. Never hear that side in the news.

Ghostbusters - Big Twinkie (0 min 44 sec)

Oh do we remember twinkies, wonder what this cost the producers to use the brand name. Wonder how long it will be before we have to explain to our kids what a twinkie was to make the scene make sense?
Foo

I feel like the answer to the points all of you have raised has been around for a long time. Treat others as you’d like to be treated (do unto others as you’d have done to you), anything else winds up as an enormous fail.

I agree, Prins Willem. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Prins Willem

Question? Where does this "after all it had been the employees' workplace in the first place" come from? Sounds like something Vladimir Lenin or Karl Marx might have said.

+1 and a great post all around.

Here is a big irony inmy area about this:
We just passed a personal use law to legalize the marijuana for recreational usew. Now that Hostes is gone--what are all those pot heads going to be doing for snacks now that the twinkies and other hostess products are gone that they usally craved. A huge market void to be filled by another snack food company. If you would have only waited a little longer Hostess........lol!

Originally Posted by keith S

Now that Hostes is gone--what are all those pot heads going to be doing for snacks ...

Same as always - Denny's.

Andy

Originally Posted by AndyKunz

Same as always - Denny's.

Andy

nope....


taco bell