Forget The Fiscal Cliff, Twinkies Could Soon Disappear Forever Image courtesy of (Alan Rappa)
Earlier this week, the company temporarily shuttered three plants — in Seattle, St. Louis and Cincinnati — due to the nearly 5,700 employees — about one-third of Hostess’ work force — who recently walked off the job to take part in a strike organized by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers & Grain Millers International Union.
And according to Reuters, Hostess says it is prepared to ask the court later today to approve liquidation of the company’s assets if it can’t get its machines cranking out Twinkies and other delicious treats, but mostly Twinkies.
“We simply do not have the financial resources to survive an ongoing national strike,” Hostess CEO Gregory Rayburn said in a statement yesterday.
The strike surrounds court-approved pay cuts that union members feel cut too deeply and prevent them from making a proper living. 92% of union members voted their disapproval of the plan to slash salaries by 8% and increase employee contribution to health insurance plans by 20%.
“It’s just way, way over the top,” the head of the bakers union stated earlier this week. “It was an untenable proposal for our people.”
A statement posted today by the union says that while Hostess may be trying to blame the possible liquidation on the strike, it’s the result of management and ownership that has no interest in the business beyond its sale value:
Despite Greg Rayburn’s insulting and disingenuous statements of the last several months, the truth is that Hostess workers and their Union have absolutely no responsibility for the failure of this company. That responsibility rests squarely on the shoulders of the company’s decision makers.
For those who will miss their Twinkies if Hostess goes kaput, there are seemingly countless clone recipes out there. Below are some for your enjoyment:
And here’s a YouTube video of someone crafting their own yellow, sugary treat:
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