How exactly does this make the unions stronger? They get stronger the fewer workers they have?
18,500 workers is chicken feed to them - they want to demonstrate to the big players that the union is ready to sacrifice it all (likely emboldened now that Obama has their back). So they trash Hostess to put the Boeings, the auto makers, etc. on notice.
Beats me, but it sounds like they believe they won by forcing a liquidation while they, the essential workers, will just find another job in another unionized plant which will now know better than to ever reject a union demand.
Or something.