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1. 

   ConserveGov said, 7 months ago

   Just another company O has run into the ground.
2. 

   hanmari said, 7 months ago

   Nah, it’s not Obama’s fault. It’s the employer’s fault for giving into union demands until they cannot afford to pay for all the benefits they’ve already agreed to. The only way out is to declare bankruptcy, have a judge break the union contract, and rebuilt the company employment workforce with either no unions or a union contract that doesn’t bankrupt the company. This is happening all over the country as companies are realizing that they gave away too many generous benefits that they couldn’t pay for. And usually it’s only government that makes this stupid mistake…
3. 

   ARodney said, 7 months ago

   What weird conservative interpretations. There’s only so much you can cut wages and benefits until your workers are no longer making a living. Do you really want them on the taxpayers dime for Medicaid and food stamps? The problem with Hostess was its unwillingness to change with the times. Very few people want that many artificial ingredients or preservatives in their food these days. Cereal companies like General Mills and Kelloggs have been good about updating their product line to things people want to buy — they’re not trying to push Sugar Smacks in 2012. Being unwilling to change to adapt to markets is a problem with management, not labor.
4. 

   Radish said, 7 months ago

   “Crony capitalism and consistently poor management drove Hostess into the ground, but its workers are paying the price.”
5. 

   Radish said, 7 months ago

   @hanmari

   I love your wealth envy.
6. 

   ansonia said, 7 months ago

   This was a great victory for the union.
   Of course thousands of union brothers have no jobs but the union leaders in the 1% are set.
   Oh and all you union brothers out of a job, remember to keep those union dues rolling in!
7. 

   Kylie2112 said, 7 months ago

   @ConserveGov

   Yup, Obama and the unions told the executive brass to give themselves 75-200% raises a few months ago.
8. 

   motivemagus said, 7 months ago

   @ansonia

   Nope, try again. The current leadership of Hostess gave themselves massive (like 100%) raises WHILE cutting benefits for their employees, then declaring bankruptcy. Don’t blame the unions for all of this.
9. 

   ODon said, 7 months ago

   Let’s not forget the cost of sugar as determined by the “free market.” The price of sugar a prime ingredient is kept artificially (yes) high by tariffs. Mexico will soon be making Twinkies and avoid the mandated tax. Which played a bigger role in the demise, unions or Congressional Act, think about it.
10. 

    Michael wme said, 7 months ago

    The newspapers have reported that the owners of Hostess are closing it down, but give several reasons:

    
    1. Terrible management, trying to sell unhealthy snacks now that Americans only want whole-grain breads and broccoli. (We can safely rule out that version, of course.)

    
    2. Unreasonable labour who demanded more compensation than the company could afford.

    
    or
    3. Unreasonable management who, as is now standard, took over the company with an LBO, borrowed against the plant and the pensions and paid themselves the full value of the loan, leaving the shell of the company hopelessly in hock with no way to repay the lenders or the workers (the lenders get first dibs, the workers probably get nothing). Once illegal, but now considered optimal management practice.

    
    I have no idea which of the three (or which combination) is true, and no one seems to be providing links, just claims that it’s #1, #2 or #3 (the ones who claim it’s #1 please get in touch with me, I have this bridge you couldn’t possibly live without).
11. 

    Jase99 said, 7 months ago

    @motivemagus

    Nope, try again. The current leadership of Hostess gave themselves massive (like 100%) raises WHILE cutting benefits for their employees, then declaring bankruptcy. Don’t blame the unions for all of this.
    
    Northwest Airlines did that a few times before begging to be bought out.
    
    1)They’d go into bankruptcy
    2) Get the unions to agree to pay and benefit cuts
    3) Beg for and receive money from the state of MN in exchange agreements of bringing jobs to MN or keeping more here
    4) Emerge from bankruptcy
    5) Renege on it’s deal with the state and/or decide it can’t replay the money
    6) Management votes itself pay raises for navigating the company out of bankruptcy
    7) Repeat in a few years.
    
    But like most of the “conservative” posters say, it’s all the fault of those damn greedy unions!
12. 

    mikefive said, 7 months ago

    @ARodney

    Very few people ate the 500 million Twinkies sold by Hostess last year. I’ll bet those few are really, really fat.
13. 

    mikefive said, 7 months ago

    @ansonia

    Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco and Grain Millers International Union just lost 25% of its membership. I wonder if the Union leadership will vote to cut their $200,000+ salaries.
14. 

    mikefive said, 7 months ago

    @mikefive

    I’m high on that 25%. My apologies. I have learned that that is not a good number. I haven’t been able to find a good number, yet, but it appears that the reality is probably around half of that .
15. 

    comicsssfan said, 7 months ago

    A big Mexican bakery company will probably buy the Hostess they said on the news this morning. With their lower costs overall, and lower sugar costs they can make a go of it.
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