Hostess, maker of Twinkies and Ding Dongs, says closing business

reply to post by jayelgee


You may be right, but.......................

its more about the Job loss then anything else. People will always buy sweet baked goods.

Nothing but nostalgia anyway.

It was a failing outdated business and everyone including the unions were fighting over the remnants of what once was.

Other than Hostess O's (raspberry filled cake donuts draped in confectioners sugar) their products were not as good as they used to be. The Twinkies today are dry, bland, with little filling that tastes artificial and the Suzy Q's were dry and flavorless as well.

Their poor products were still sold because of marketing that relied on consumers remembrance of a once good product. They cheapened their recipes long ago which left room for both the gourmet market at one end and similar mass produced garbage that sold for much less without the expensive branding costs at the low end.

Sure the unions screwed everyone in the end, but it was a lost cause long before the end.

Oh my goodness, the end of Hostess twinkies, we got your Mayan doom. This marks the real beginning of the end of the civilized world as we know it.

Originally posted by FreebirdGirl

Originally posted by steve1709
Let me get this right. A bunch of union groupies refuse to work for this company over a few bucks more a week, to the point that they cause the company to go broke and in doing so lose the jobs of everybody that works there. So due to them wanting a bit more in their pay packet, they have now caused people to have no pay packet at all. Wow, how smart are they. I don't usually back the boss but in this case it looks like the tough guy union pr1cks have pushed that little bit too hard. I wonder how many of those union rep freaks have no job now, or have they simply moved on to another shop floor to do it all over again. Yea for the union reps. Bet they are still pulling in weekly money from "union funds" Isn't there a fiction book called Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand that where the unions do something similar so the owner of the company burns his business to the ground. Sorry for the families that will do xmas tough but for the actual blokes who went on strike for the extra few bucks, I can't help thinking that in many cases, it serves them right.

Come on. Is there a book called Atlas Shrugged? Look under your pillowcase. Remember it's where your bible used to be.

Yep, there is, and there's even google or yahoo search to help people find it here ya go : en.wikipedia.org...

[OFF SITE INFO]
"The book explores a dystopian United States where many of society's most productive citizens refuse to be exploited by increasing taxation and government regulations and go on strike. The refusal evokes the imagery of what would happen if the mythological Atlas refused to continue to hold up the world. They are led by John Galt. Galt describes the strike as "stopping the motor of the world" by withdrawing the minds that drive society's growth and productivity. In their efforts, these people "of the mind" hope to demonstrate that a world in which the individual is not free to create is doomed, that civilization cannot exist where every person is a slave to society and government, and that the destruction of the profit motive leads to the collapse of society. "

................................. ah what's the use, it's probably a little too deep for you anyway.

Why do I keep thinking "silly little girl"?

Unions and other victim organisations have a lot to answer for. Take paid parental leave for example

They kicked up a fuss until women could take time off "on full pay" to have a kid and bring it up for a few months then be able to waltz back into their job. The employer had to pick up the bill for her pay PLUS pay someone else to take her place while she is on leave (also have to put up with training this new person) that now means 2 wage expenses for the one position. THEN they have to guarantee the woman's position when she wants to come back to work (and be patient once she is back until her skill level is back up to speed). So the employer decides that maybe it will be better to NOT employ people full time but to take people on just for the time needed. Hmmmm says the employer, that saves me all of the hassles with potential future pregnant women. Maybe it will work elsewhere. So the employer then starts to dramatically reduce full time work force. No more sick leave, no more holiday pay, no more 17 1/2 % loading on christmas pay. Wow, this casual work force is a great thing he thinks. NOW the average Joe Blow can't get full time work, can't get a house loan because he DOESN'T HAVE FULL TIME WORK>

Wow, unions, victim groups and the like have really "helped" the average bloke haven't they. Wake up!

Do I like money hungry employers? NO!
Do I like whiging whining employees? NO!

Do I like people? NO! but other animals are pretty kool.

They have been struggling for a while! The walk out just cemented the deal.

They will sell cheap and the brand will now be made in Asia etc... Just anouther sell out, nothing to see!

reply to post by FreebirdGirl


8 years of wage stagnation. I wasn't aware that because you do the job you are hired to do you are entitled to more than was agreed upon.

You and I must have differing opinions on what is skilled labor and what is not. Basically if you watch a 30 min safety vid and get one day of training its not skilled labor.

My personal finance , education level etc are irrelevant. As humans we are all entitled to certain rights and fairness should be strived for but business isn't about being fair. It is about profit. As long as the employees are not threatened, forced to do things that are unsafe or unconscionable and are compensated then there is no need for a union. A union is gang mentality.

Is management unfair sure but they don't have to be "fair" and you are free to leave if you have a problem. If the company had stagnated wages and conditions were so bad why didn't they change jobs? They have known since 04? I guess they couldn't find another overpaid button pushing job with benefits and might have to actually compete in the labor pool.

I'm glad the Twinkies are gone (vile things they were), but I am gonna miss those cupcakes...

Loved getting them at lunch and licking the cream out of them.

WHAT?!?!?!?!? That's it, it's over. GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD.

Just saw that Little Debbie are selling Twinkie knock offs and they're exactly the same. They're called cloud cakes. pic

reply to post by sonnny1


Finally.

Those things are awful.

Good riddance! Of course the fatties have many alternatives but I have to view this as a small victory. That's the problem with "capitalism," people believe they have the right to make money by poisoning the folks around them.

reply to post by ldyserenity


We will be okay has long as we have Little Debbies,they are my
favorites.
I do have a back-up plan if Little Debbies should follow and close
as well.

When I saw the words Hostess, Twinkies & Ding Dongs it conjured certain images that led me into this thread.

What a disappointment.

Who cares?

reply to post by ceranko


Judging by the flags on this post, some people.
Outside of ATS? People who have the munchies.
And the people who lost their jobs. And probably their families.

reply to post by mamabeth


Nobody puts Little Debbie in the corner.
P.S. What's your plan?

reply to post by Jess117


My back up plan...learn to bake my own! I have already figured out
how to make some of my favorites.

18,500 people lost their jobs right before the holidays. This particular union absolutely deserves some of the blame. The bosses aren't the ones that will have to worry about how to feed their families, the people they "represent" will. These monsters deserve the worst. Does anyone with legal expertise know if the employees have grounds for a lawsuit?



On the other hand, management is also to blame, perhaps more so than the bakers union. While the execs were running the company into the ground, they were also giving themselves huge raises. If this so called free market is what should determine ones wages, why aren't the folks who managed the company into bankruptcy two times since 2004 not standing in line in a soup kitchen? Oh I forgot, those at the top do not have to live by the same standards they set for us.

Originally posted by steve1709

Originally posted by FreebirdGirl

Originally posted by steve1709
Let me get this right. A bunch of union groupies refuse to work for this company over a few bucks more a week, to the point that they cause the company to go broke and in doing so lose the jobs of everybody that works there. So due to them wanting a bit more in their pay packet, they have now caused people to have no pay packet at all. Wow, how smart are they. I don't usually back the boss but in this case it looks like the tough guy union pr1cks have pushed that little bit too hard. I wonder how many of those union rep freaks have no job now, or have they simply moved on to another shop floor to do it all over again. Yea for the union reps. Bet they are still pulling in weekly money from "union funds" Isn't there a fiction book called Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand that where the unions do something similar so the owner of the company burns his business to the ground. Sorry for the families that will do xmas tough but for the actual blokes who went on strike for the extra few bucks, I can't help thinking that in many cases, it serves them right.

Come on. Is there a book called Atlas Shrugged? Look under your pillowcase. Remember it's where your bible used to be.

Yep, there is, and there's even google or yahoo search to help people find it here ya go : en.wikipedia.org...

[OFF SITE INFO]
"The book explores a dystopian United States where many of society's most productive citizens refuse to be exploited by increasing taxation and government regulations and go on strike. The refusal evokes the imagery of what would happen if the mythological Atlas refused to continue to hold up the world. They are led by John Galt. Galt describes the strike as "stopping the motor of the world" by withdrawing the minds that drive society's growth and productivity. In their efforts, these people "of the mind" hope to demonstrate that a world in which the individual is not free to create is doomed, that civilization cannot exist where every person is a slave to society and government, and that the destruction of the profit motive leads to the collapse of society. "

................................. ah what's the use, it's probably a little too deep for you anyway.

Why do I keep thinking "silly little girl"?

Unions and other victim organisations have a lot to answer for. Take paid parental leave for example

They kicked up a fuss until women could take time off "on full pay" to have a kid and bring it up for a few months then be able to waltz back into their job. The employer had to pick up the bill for her pay PLUS pay someone else to take her place while she is on leave (also have to put up with training this new person) that now means 2 wage expenses for the one position. THEN they have to guarantee the woman's position when she wants to come back to work (and be patient once she is back until her skill level is back up to speed). So the employer decides that maybe it will be better to NOT employ people full time but to take people on just for the time needed. Hmmmm says the employer, that saves me all of the hassles with potential future pregnant women. Maybe it will work elsewhere. So the employer then starts to dramatically reduce full time work force. No more sick leave, no more holiday pay, no more 17 1/2 % loading on christmas pay. Wow, this casual work force is a great thing he thinks. NOW the average Joe Blow can't get full time work, can't get a house loan because he DOESN'T HAVE FULL TIME WORK>

Wow, unions, victim groups and the like have really "helped" the average bloke haven't they. Wake up!

Do I like money hungry employers? NO!
Do I like whiging whining employees? NO!

Do I like people? NO! but other animals are pretty kool.

Dont' recognize sarcasm huh?

Originally posted by Jess117
reply to post by mamabeth

 

Nobody puts Little Debbie in the corner.

P.S. What's your plan?

edit on 17-11-2012 by Jess117 because: I'm a magician

I do, because I'm her father, and shes 16. What are you, like 38?

-Family Guy is awesome ;-)

Dirty Dancing Ending