Rayne's World

Let's Not Be Ding Dongs About This

I wasn't planning on writing about unions this week. It really isn't one of my most passionate topics. But with the recent news of the Hostess liquidation – it is difficult to ignore what is in the front of my mind.

On Friday, the hedge funds supporting Hostess announced that they will start liquidating the company and that nearly 19,000 people will be losing their jobs. The decision came after a one-week strike by the Bakery Workers Union. More than 90 percent of the workers voted to strike even after the threat of a permanent closing. It is possible they knew the closure was inevitable and went on strike anyway to help save the contracts affecting employees at other bakeries. There are a lot of fingers pointing at the union. However, it should be noted that this company was trapped in a crème-filled mudslide for a decade. Hostess has faced two bankruptcies under six CEOs in 10 years. They were already planning to close nine plants regardless of the …

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Brian Dey

12:18 pm on Monday, November 19, 2012

I didn't say it was right. I did say it was fair. What CU did was give the same rights to corporations as it had long given unions. So by definition, it made it fair because while both should be working together, they lobby for very different outcomes. Because unions usually put 90 or more percent of their campaign donations on attack ads for Democrats, left unchecked, that provided an unfair …   more ›

Twinkies and Ding Dongs Still Available, But Not For Long

Hostess Brands announced Friday that it is shutting down operations after 82 years of making Wonder Bread, Twinkies and other iconic snack foods.

It’s not too late to get a Twinkie or Ho-Ho in Caledonia, Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant, but you might want to hurry. Hostess Brands, makers of those and other iconic snacks, announced Friday that it filed a motion in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for permission to go out of business. The company failed to reach agreement with striking workers, and now plans to lay off all 18,500 employees and liquidate assets. Walmart, Pick‘n Save and Piggly Wiggly all had Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho-Hos and Zingers on the shelves. Ralph Malicki, owner of the Piggly Wiggly on Washington Avenue, said he still has a lot of Hostess brand products on the shelves. "My thinking is, that they'll probably have to liquidate their product, but if no one is making them, I'm …

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Greg

10:48 pm on Saturday, November 17, 2012

Michelle would poop a brick if Barry supported the makers of this poison.   more ›