DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... No More Twinkies?

Could be the case. This could be a very clear case of a union cutting off its nose to spite its face. (and spitting in its fellow unions' faces as well)

What good does it do ..... really .... to strike a bankrupt employer?

Hostess may close down for good if workers do not return by Thursday
http://news.msn.com/us/hostess-may-close-down-for-good-if-workers-do-not-return-by-thursday

The maker of Twinkies will ask a judge for permission to liquidate and close all operations as soon as November 20 if workers do not end the strike.

Hostess Brands Inc. said it will ask a U.S. bankruptcy judge for permission to liquidate if enough striking workers do not return to work by the end of Thursday to let the maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread resume normal operations.

Wednesday's announcement escalates a bitter dispute between the 82-year-old company and the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union, whose members constitute about one-third of Hostess' nearly 18,000 employees.

A union spokeswoman said the union would have no immediate comment.

Workers at Hostess plants across the country had gone on strike or refused to cross picket lines on November 9 to protest pay cuts that Hostess had in bankruptcy court won the right to impose. That prompted the company at the time to raise the specter of liquidation in case of a widespread strike.

On Wednesday, Hostess said that if enough striking workers did not return to work by 5 p.m. ET the next day, the company would on Friday ask U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain in White Plains, New York, who oversees its Chapter 11 reorganization, for permission to shut down and sell assets.

"We simply do not have the financial resources to survive an ongoing national strike," Hostess Chief Executive Gregory Rayburn said in a statement.

The Irving, Texas-based company had previously reached agreement on pay and benefit cuts with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, its largest union.

Hostess said if it wins permission to liquidate, it will begin to close all operations as soon as November 20, two days before Thanksgiving, and fire all plant workers except those needed to prepare its facilities for sale.

Earlier this week, Hostess said the strike forced it to permanently close three of its 36 bakeries, costing 627 jobs.

The company said it has 565 distribution centers and 570 bakery outlet stores, as well as the 33 other bakeries.

Hostess filed for protection from creditors on January 11, its second bankruptcy filing in less than three years, after failing to win concessions on pension and health benefits. The company had about $860 million of debt at the time.

The case is In re: Hostess Brands Inc, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York, No. 12-22052.

The 12,000 non-union workers should go beat the snot out of the 6,000 union workers that are about to get them all fired.... have a merry Christmas y'all...

Nah, I'm sure it's the hedge fund's fault.

chirp chirp chirp go the crickets on this thread.

Who is going to make the replacement Twinkies for the folks in Colorado?

If this all blows up....wouldn't another company swoop in to buy the rights to make Twinkies and all the other Hostess crap?

and this is why there are no freaking Twinkies during the Zombie Apocalypse.


Woody Harrelson - Are you paying attention to this!!??!!!

I don't know...after further thought...maybe Twinkies are too big to fail? And if Hostess could somehow convince POTUS that Twinkies are an alternative fuel source, they can get $200M.

Too bad Christie isn't Prez ... it'd be a done deal.

What a bunch of Ding Dongs

Good grief... Morons.

Sure takes the "Ho Ho" out of the holidays.

Somewhere in NYC, Maybe Bloomberg has removed the magnetic twinkie from his board of future banned substances.

Homemade Twinkies Recipe
Ingredients

| metric conversion

Nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil
1/2 cup cake flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk, preferably whole
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Seven-Minute Filling, er, Frosting

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position.

2. To make your shiny, single-use Twinkie molds, start with a piece of aluminum foil, preferably heavy-duty, that’s approximately 14 inches long. It should be just a little longer than it is wide. Fold the foil in half lengthwise, then fold it in half again to create a rectangle that’s about 6 inches long and 7 inches wide. Repeat to make a dozen rectangles.

3. Place 1 sheet of folded foil on your work surface, with the long side facing you. Place a standard-size plastic or glass spice jar on its side in the center of the foil, the jar’s long side also facing you. Bring the long sides of the foil up around the jar. The foil won’t reach all the way around, and that’s okay. Fold the foil in around both top and bottom ends of the spice jar, nice and tight. You’ll end up with a sort of trough situation. (Cookbook author Todd Wilbur has a video of the process here; if you’re impatient, fast forward to 1:10, where the action starts.) Repeat until you have 12 foil Twinkie molds. Spritz the molds with an obscenely generous amount of nonstick spray or use your fingertips to coat the molds with vegetable oil. Place the Twinkie molds on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan.

4. Whisk the flours, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.

5. Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Remove from the heat add the vanilla. Cover to keep warm.

6. Separate the eggs, placing the whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or, if using a hand mixer or whisk, a large mixing bowl) and reserving the yolks in another bowl. Beat the whites on high speed until foamy. Gradually add 6 tablespoons of the sugar and the cream of tartar and continue to beat until the whites reach soft, moist peaks.

7. Transfer the beaten egg whites to a large bowl and add the egg yolks to the standing mixer bowl—there’s no need to clean the bowl (or, if using a hand mixer or whisk, simply place the egg yolks in a separate large bowl). Beat the egg yolks with the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is very thick and a pale lemon color, about 5 minutes. Add the beaten egg whites to the yolks, but do not mix.

8. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg whites and then mix everything on low speed for just 10 seconds (or, if using a hand mixer or whisk, until blended but not thoroughly combined). Remove the bowl from the mixer, make a well in one side of the batter, and pour the melted butter mixture into the bowl. Fold gently with a large rubber spatula until the batter shows no trace of flour and the whites and yolks are evenly mixed, about 8 strokes.

9. Immediately scrape the batter into the prepared molds, filling each with about 3/4 inch of batter. Bake until the cake tops are light brown and feel firm and spring back when touched, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer the pan containing the molds to a wire rack and allow the cakes to cool in the molds.

10. Just before filling, remove each cake from the foil. Using the end of a chopstick, poke three holes in the bottom of each cake, just like in the bottom of real Twinkies. Wiggle the tip of the chopstick around quite a lot to make room for the filling. (Again, you can see this in action here, beginning at minute 3.)

11. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fit with a small tip (about 1/4 inch across). Pipe the frosting into the holes you created in the bottom of the cakes. As you fill each cake, hold it in your hand and press your palm gently around it so you can feel the cake expand, taking care not to overfill and crack the cake.

12. Unlike real Twinkies, these won’t last indefinitely. They’re best served still slightly warm.

Get more deliciousness at Homemade Twinkies Recipe | Leite's Culinaria

web page

Twinkie Pan. - http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-3964-Cream-Canoe-Decorating/dp/B0009R59QY

Just clicking

The top guy at hostess was just on the Today Program and he says it's over, they have asked the courts to allow them to shut down.

All the unions have agreed except the Bakers Union. That's the one thats holding it up. Apparently even the Teamsters have agreed. But not the freakin bakers union.

They are going to be out of work. Period.. 18,500 people are going to be out of work.

Brilliant move by the Bakers Union..

Hostess has been talking about bankruptcy for about a year now... they were dead company walking. Did the strike provide an obvious point to close up shop? Absolutely. But it's not like hostess was "a strong American company" that was shut down by the evil unions. Little Debbie offers many of the same products and at half the price of Hostess. I'd like to see what the sales of the two companies snack lines have been over the past 10 years. I bet LD crushes them.

And while it is terrible that this many people are losing their jobs ({I'm not just saying the union workers, but everyone in the company} due, in my belief, to a business model and product portfolio out of touch with the times,) is it really the worst thing that we'll be without nutrition-free twinkies and wonder bread?

I wonder if it has something to do with paying unemployment/unemployment insurance.

Because they are currently in bankruptcy .... probably a reorganization plan, and they would need to then move to a liquidation plan instead.

I believe that a company needs permission to go through different steps while they are in an active and open bankruptcy.

I'd like to say this is unbelievable, but... Wow. Just... WOW!

I feel really bad for all the other employees (union and non-union) who were willing to sustain some losses to keep their jobs. Way to go baker's... way to go. Your ignorance and selfishness has disrupted the lives of thousands of others who were just trying to keep their heads above water.

For those who wondered ...... Hostess also makes Nature's Pride, and Dolly Madison baked goods brands as well.

Anyway .....

No more Twinkies? Hostess plans to go out of business | SeacoastOnline.com
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20121116-NEWS-121119827


By Tom Murphy
Associated Press
November 16, 2012 9:04 AM
Hostess, the maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread, plans to go out of business, lay off its 18,500 workers and sell its snack cake and bread brands.

The Irving, Texas, company said a nationwide strike crippled its ability to make and deliver its products, which also include Ding Dongs, Ho Ho's and Home Pride bread.

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

The company had warned employees that it would file a motion in U.S. Bankruptcy Court to unwind its business and sell assets if plant operations didn't return to normal levels by Thursday evening. The privately held company filed for Chapter 11 protection in January, its second trip through bankruptcy court in less than a decade.


"Many people have worked incredibly long and hard to keep this from happening, but now Hostess Brands has no other alternative than to begin the process of winding down and preparing for the sale of our iconic brands," CEO Gregory F. Rayburn said in a letter to employees posted on the company website.

He added that all employees will eventually lose their jobs, "some sooner than others."

"Unfortunately, because we are in bankruptcy, there are severe limits on the assistance the (company) can offer you at this time," Rayburn wrote.

Thousands of members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union went on strike last week after rejecting in September a contract offer that cut wages and benefits. Hostess said Friday the company is unprofitable "under its current cost structure, much of which is determined by union wages and pension costs."

A union representative did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press seeking comment on the company's announcement.

Hostess has said that production at about a dozen of the company's 33 plants has been seriously affected by the strike. Three plants were closed earlier this week.

Hostess had already reached a contract agreement with its largest union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

The company, founded in 1930, was fighting battles beyond labor costs. Competition is increasing in the snack space and Americans are increasingly conscious about healthy eating. Hostess also makes Dolly Madison, Drake's and Nature's Pride snacks.

Yeah, I guess this does make it official.

What a shame that all of those people had to lose their jobs because one union didn't want to make rather modest concessions. They would give up 8% immediately, but then gain back 3% and 1% over the next couple of years.

I guess that a year's worth of unemployment was a better option for them. (and all of their union brothers)

Also, I wonder what happens to their pensions?

End of an era as Hostess shuts down :: WRAL.com
http://www.wral.com/hostess-files-for-bankruptcy-shuts-down/11781223/

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — Hostess Brands Inc. filed for bankruptcy early Friday, announcing it has shuttered operations and ended production of the snack cakes and breads known to generations of Americans.

The Texas-based company said in a statement on its website that it will try to sell its assets, including the iconic Twinkie, Ding Dong and Wonder bread brands. Bakery operations have been suspended at all 36 plants, including one in Rocky Mount, following a weeklong strike by thousands of workers protesting 8 percent wage cuts and benefit concessions.

In its statement, Hostess said the strike “crippled the company’s ability to produce and deliver products at multiple facilities.”

Already-baked products will continue to be delivered, and the company said its retail stores will remain open for a few days to sell off remaining stock.

“We deeply regret the necessity of today’s decision, but we do not have the financial resources to weather an extended nationwide strike,” said Gregory F. Rayburn, chief executive officer. “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.”

The company had set a deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday for striking workers to return to the production line. The deadline passed and the company waited until about 7 a.m. Friday to make good on its threat to shut down.

Workers who had gathered early Friday in front of the Rocky Mount plant – where snacks, desserts, and Wonder and Merita breads were made – said they were not notified of the decision to shut down and were waiting to learn more information. About 275 workers are employed at the plant.

A week ago, thousands of members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union went on strike. Officials say the company stopped contributing to workers' pensions last year, and the union rejected the company's contract offer in September.

The company said it had offered the 12 unions a 25 percent ownership stake, representation on its board of directors and $100 million in reorganized Hostess Brands’ debt.

Union representative Dave Hoffman acknowledged Thursday that continuing the strike will not garner a win for Hostess employees.

"Either way, they know they are going to lose," he said. "They are going to either lose their job or they are going to have to go back in there and lose their pension."

Hostess got its start in the late 1800s with the production of Drake's cakes. That sweet treat was followed by Ding Dongs, Donettes, Ho Hos, Snowballs and a variety of breads and desserts that were found in virtually every grocery store and lunchbox in America. The company had its own pavilion in the 1939 World's Fair.

Despite annual sales of $2.5 billion, the company said its current cost structure was unprofitable, largely because of union wages and pensions.

Hate to see people losing work, especially in situation that both parties may have been able to work through. Really sad for those that were really just innocent bystanders in the whole process.

Especially in a job market like todays .....

And losing 18,000 jobs isn't going to improve the employment picture for those 38 or so locations.

So the ones on the shelves are collector's items?

Heck, they'll still be edible in 8,000 years.

So saddened by this. Mostly because of the job loss for 18K+ people, the death of an iconic American brand but also for personal reasons.

Through this pregnancy, I've found I have gestational diabetes. The hardest thing for me has been to give up my PB&J sandwiches. Until, that is, I found Wonder Smart Wheat bread. Same number of carbs in 2 slices of this as there is in 1 slice of regular bread. Now, I can have a whole sandwich I don't have use crappy PB or sugar free jelly to do it.

Other similar breads just don't taste as good as the Wonder version. Guess I'll buy several loaves and freeze them.

I suspect that, because they are going through bankruptcy proceedings that they must do some additional filings.

It's simply a matter of procedures. Just formalities. The courts can't force them to stay open.

Man, I probably haven;t had PB&J in 10 years.

I just threw out a far of peanut butter that I bought about the same time I bought this house. It was 2 or 3 years out of date, lol

For some reason though, a PB&J sandwich sounds pretty good right about now.