No more Twinkies: Baker's Union Bankrupt Hostess Corp

[Dyakovo]

You know, this got me thinking. If "Big Bizness" is able to cry that the union work stoppage was so crippling to operations that the corporation ceaced to be viable, wouldn't they then have to admit that the workers importance in the capitalist/labor equation is much greater than they previously thought? Isn't this proof positive that maybe the working class deserves a bigger piece of the pie?

You'd think so...

[Mike the Progressive]

Exactly. In a free market, workers have a right to form unions and strike, businesses have to find a way to overcome it or they die.

The thing is, businessess are not allowed to deal with striking workers; they aren't allowed to fire them for unionizing or for organizing a strike. This is wrong and should be changed. If the employees can organize, then so should the employers.

Bleh, I was thinking of that actually when I wrote my comment. No I suppose not. Though to be honest, they've been having problems for some time. And I don't mean with unions and strikes.

[Farnhamia]

The thing is, businessess are not allowed to deal with striking workers;

You don't even know what a strike is, do you?

That's when you knock down all 10 pins ... Sorry ... sorry ... *runs away*

[The Emerald Dawn]

You don't even know what a strike is, do you?

That's when you knock down all 10 pins ... Sorry ... sorry ... *runs away*

Oi, no stealing jobs you scab. I'm the bad joke maker here.

[Cannot think of a name]

You don't even know what a strike is, do you?

That's when you knock down all 10 pins ... Sorry ... sorry ... *runs away*

Now I have the urge to form a 'too-clever-by-half' bowling team called 'The Picket Line'

[Grand Britannia]

Good point.

How much would a ton of Twinkies be?

Probably in the neighborhood of $10,000.

Damn it

My response.
(Image)
HOW WILL I DROWN MY WOES ON SAD, RAINY DAYS, NOW?

Little Debbie.

Tempting....

[AynRandtopia]

The workers got what they wanted. Now that they won't be working and are being paid by the state, they can devote their full attention to finding higher paying jobs.

[Farnhamia]

Probably in the neighborhood of $10,000.

Damn it

Little Debbie.

Tempting....

I can get you one per day for the next 50 years for about $7,300.

[Nua Corda]

Because if forigen interests control the company, the profit goes out of the US. Ideally the company should be based and operated in the US, and the workers payed as much as possible so that the money circulates properly.

And they ARE the ones in charge. Not the plutocrats who have been inflating their own bonuses and crushing their workers.

But the foreign company, manufacturing good in the U.S. pays wages set by the Unions and/or Govt., pays U.S. taxes on their U.S. operations. So, obviously it must be the Ebil Foreign Banks, right?

"Payed as much as possible" ?!?!? How do you formulate that rubish?

No, because the profit, which doesnt go to the workers as it should, is going to foreign 1%ers, who we can't tax. Nothing to do with banks.

How about attacking the arguement, not the spelling? Or maybe you just have no response, as usual.

[Neo Art]

So a group of people got together and collectively decided that they weren't willing to work under the offer posed by the employer. The employer choose to cease operations rather than meet those demands.

Isn't this exactly what pro business right wing argues should happen? Isn't the whole premise upon which the philosophy rests predicated on the idea that if employees don't like the offer made by the employer they're free to say no?

What, exactly, is the problem here?

[Mike the Progressive]

You know, this got me thinking. If "Big Bizness" is able to cry that the union work stoppage was so crippling to operations that the corporation ceaced to be viable, wouldn't they then have to admit that the workers importance in the capitalist/labor equation is much greater than they previously thought? Isn't this proof positive that maybe the working class deserves a bigger piece of the pie?

You'd think so...

Actually, I'd say that any capitalist who thinks he can do without labor is no capitalist at all, but a fool. Capital needs labor and vice versa.

[Farnhamia]

So a group of people got together and collectively decided that they weren't willing to work under the offer posed by the employer. The employer choose to cease operations rather than meet those demands.

Isn't this exactly what pro business right wing argues should happen? Isn't the whole premise upon which the philosophy rests predicated on the idea that if employees don't like the offer made by the employer they're free to say no?

What, exactly, is the problem here?

Obama

[Nua Corda]

So a group of people got together and collectively decided that they weren't willing to work under the offer posed by the employer. The employer choose to cease operations rather than meet those demands.

Isn't this exactly what pro business right wing argues should happen? Isn't the whole premise upon which the philosophy rests predicated on the idea that if employees don't like the offer made by the employer they're free to say no?

What, exactly, is the problem here?

This. So much this.

[Neo Art]

So a group of people got together and collectively decided that they weren't willing to work under the offer posed by the employer. The employer choose to cease operations rather than meet those demands.

Isn't this exactly what pro business right wing argues should happen? Isn't the whole premise upon which the philosophy rests predicated on the idea that if employees don't like the offer made by the employer they're free to say no?

What, exactly, is the problem here?

This. So much this.

I think the right wing opposition to labor uinions is, frankly, part and parcel of the same reason the right wing is so apoplectic about having a black man as president.

[You-Gi-Owe]

But the foreign company, manufacturing good in the U.S. pays wages set by the Unions and/or Govt., pays U.S. taxes on their U.S. operations. So, obviously it must be the Ebil Foreign Banks, right?

"Payed as much as possible" ?!?!? How do you formulate that rubish?

No, because the profit, which doesnt go to the workers as it should, is going to foreign 1%ers, who we can't tax. Nothing to do with banks.

How about attacking the arguement, not the spelling? Or maybe you just have no response, as usual.

You're not very specific. If you own a company, providing employment and manufacturing a product for the market, why shouldn't the owner(s), investors and the managers make profits, too.

Here a link to a basic economics game for you. It's called Hammurabi. http://www.hammurabigame.com/hammurabi-game.php

Or maybe read the story of "The Little Red Hen", not the version where the govt. and unions get together to tax her and steal her bread.

[The Black Forrest]

So a group of people got together and collectively decided that they weren't willing to work under the offer posed by the employer. The employer choose to cease operations rather than meet those demands.

Isn't this exactly what pro business right wing argues should happen? Isn't the whole premise upon which the philosophy rests predicated on the idea that if employees don't like the offer made by the employer they're free to say no?

What, exactly, is the problem here?

Obama

And Unions!

[Khadgar]

You know, I haven't eaten a hostess product in years. Twinkies are the only thing they make that doesn't suck ass. Seriously, their cake is a lump of dry tasteless coated in sugar masquerading as a treat. It's entirely possible it was their god awful product that sank them.

[Tmutarakhan]

Or maybe read the story of "The Little Red Hen"

Who do you think did the baking (in the Hostess story)?

[Cannot think of a name]

You know, I haven't eaten a hostess product in years. Twinkies are the only thing they make that doesn't suck ass. Seriously, their cake is a lump of dry tasteless coated in sugar masquerading as a treat. It's entirely possible it was their god awful product that sank them.

When I heard this I thought, "Fuck, I should go get a Twinkie!!" but then I thought, "Fuck, I haven't had an earnest urge for a Twinkie in, like, forever...I think I'm good."

[Neo Art]

You know, I haven't eaten a hostess product in years. Twinkies are the only thing they make that doesn't suck ass. Seriously, their cake is a lump of dry tasteless coated in sugar masquerading as a treat. It's entirely possible it was their god awful product that sank them.

I don't care to speculate. I don't care to place blame. I don't care to argue "well they're a bad company".

What caused the company to shut down is that their workers were not willing to work under the conditions offered. That's it. That's all. There's nothing further that needs to be said. They company went out of business because they weren't willing to make an offer to their employees sufficient to convince their employees to remain working for them.

So why SHOULD they have been kept in business? What right does a company have to remain solvent? They weren't able to meet hte demands of their labor, so their labor refused to work for them, so they shut down.

So. The fuck. What?

[Miss Defied]

You'd think so...

Actually, I'd say that any capitalist who thinks he can do without labor is no capitalist at all, but a fool. Capital needs labor and vice versa.

Yes of course, but the argument is that the capitalists are way more important than labor, hence their justification for excessive compensation. I think maybe we can safely challenge that assertion. Hopefully workers, shareholders and consumers will work together to reign in these executives.

[Neo Art]

You know, I haven't eaten a hostess product in years. Twinkies are the only thing they make that doesn't suck ass. Seriously, their cake is a lump of dry tasteless coated in sugar masquerading as a treat. It's entirely possible it was their god awful product that sank them.

When I heard this I thought, "Fuck, I should go get a Twinkie!!" but then I thought, "Fuck, I haven't had an earnest urge for a Twinkie in, like, forever...I think I'm good."

I might vaguely miss the hostess apple pies

[Skibereen]

I've never had a Twinkie. And I hate Ho-Hos. Good riddance. I will, however, start stocking up on the Donettes.


The free market works in more directions than one.

Exactly. In a free market, workers have a right to form unions and strike, businesses have to find a way to overcome it or they die.

Why exactly do Businessess die if workers have Rights to collective bargaining and contract enforcement? I fail to see how workers being allowed to negotiate a contract for payment and compensation in return for services rendered automatically kills business.

I believe UPS als fails to understand this...considering they are the largest Teamster contract, they provide stock options, healthcare, and partial pensions to PART TIME employees...all per their contract(and has done so for over a decade), and yet UPS is, and has steadily been stomping ass.
AND
Stock Holder Dividends Offered
UPS(Union) 2.80% yield
Fedex(No Union Major Competitor) 0.60% yield

Coverage Ratio
UPS(Union) 1.70
Fedex(non-Union) 1.52

Market Capital
UPS(Union)$73 billion
Fedex(non-Union)$30 billion

Consumer prices between Fedex and UPS -- are so comparable that ome must price by the item and vlume and weight to isolate a clear winner. 2-5lbs Fedex is cheaper, 5-15lbs UPS is cheaper, for letters obviously USPS is cheapest, but UPS is cheaper then FEDEX for letters, they both have comparable reliability(UPS 91%, Fedex 88%), UPS has out scored Fedex on customer service surveys ...bottom line is UPS and fedex are almost indistinguiable, except one is Union and one Isnt, if one is a consumer of their service its really a toss up, if one is looking for an investment...the Union house is the clear winner.

So yeah...fucking Unions.

[Ifreann]

That's when you knock down all 10 pins ... Sorry ... sorry ... *runs away*

Now I have the urge to form a 'too-clever-by-half' bowling team called 'The Picket Line'

"Don't cross us!"

[Cannot think of a name]

When I heard this I thought, "Fuck, I should go get a Twinkie!!" but then I thought, "Fuck, I haven't had an earnest urge for a Twinkie in, like, forever...I think I'm good."

I might vaguely miss the hostess apple pies

As a poor cat, I always went for the "four for a dollar" Home Run Pies, feeling that if I'm buying a mass-produced prepackaged confection for the change I scrounged from my car there was no point in pretending I was a connoisseur.