Hershey Workers Fear for Their Jobs

Lebanon Daily News ^ | February 25, 2007 | Steve Snyder

[rabidralph]

Hershey's is to chocolate what Culver's is to burgers.

[BurbankKarl]

You can't tell me they can make a Hershey Bar thinner down there.

[dforest]

The whole Hershey operation should be moved to the Chocolate City. What an advertising campaign and a boost to the Chocolate city economy.

[oneamericanvoice]

I empathize with you. By-the-way, did you check the See's store on-line. They might still sell that toffee that you so crave. Don't you have See's back there? If you can't get it back there, maybe I can help. There is a See's store nearby. But check on-line first. Keep up the hope, and the good fight!

[Aliska]

Yes, I did check online a month or so ago! I can order it, but opted not to (credit card balance). Wasn't that expensive and was thinking more in terms of a gift. I just went through a bag of York peppermint patties and a bag of jelly beans, don't like the orange ones. Not the same, not even close, but cheap. I don't generally eat that much these days, then get a craving for sugar in the evening sometimes.

Thanks for the offer to help. It's easy enough to order online. No, See's seems to be just a west coast phenomenon, I guess. But I think they've not outsourced yet!

Actually Fannie May has an online outlet, too! Most of my favorites, but not the fruit and rum. Oh well. It would be quite a splurge right now.

Bodega Bay has some giant oysters you can order; I bought some when I lived out there. Someday I may treat myself to some of those. And a lobster tail. Haven't had one for years.

[oneamericanvoice]

All of that sounds good, especially the seafood. I read last night that the Norwegians and British are being over run by giant crabs. Maybe you can find them online and let me know. I was salivating just reading the piece. Draw that butter now! And oysters...I haven't had oysters in years, but would love to! As for lobsters, do you have Red Lobster? It might not be that expensive at lunch. Always go for seafood at lunch. Now, put on that bib and dig into the crab, lobster or anything with drawn butter!

[Fester Chugabrew]

Consumer: "As long as the chocolate is made to the same standards who cares if it comes from Mexico, China, or Timbuktu? All the better if it's cheaper!"

Hershey Employee: "But I don't want to move and live where global warming melts chocolate faster than terrorists can blow a New Orleans dyke."

[Aliska]

In a way, the toffee brings back a sad memory. We lived in a little house that the landlord's mother had lived in, very reasonable rent. I had already discovered that toffee but don't think I ever had a whole box of it. His college-age daughter was killed when somebody crossed the center rail near San Rafael on Hwy 101, and he brought us a box that Christmas. I still feel so sad when I think of that; I felt so bad for him, and he sat down and started crying. I wish I'd gone over and just hugged him; it was hard for me to show my emotions, but I've always kind of hated myself every time I think of it. He was a nice man, probably dead now. I hope with all my heart he has peace now and that God will forgive me for a (to me) great sin of omission. I was about her age and pregnant, he may have been thinking you know, how she wouldn't be giving him any grandchildren.

I just looked her up in the California Death index. She died on August 24, 1964. I think he might have died in 1968. It makes me so sad now. I wish there were something I could do. Maybe I should do some more checking and have flowers put on his grave rather than worrying about candy. Something.

[Redcloak]

Actually, Mexican chocolate is pretty good. (Though, IIRC, Hershey doesn't produce a Mexican chocolate.)

[bannie]

Does anyone else remember the Smothers Brothers' song, "I Fell Into a Vat of Chocolate"?

[oneamericanvoice]

You have to stop beating yourself up. Regrets don't do any good. Learning from the lessons that life teaches us means acting on them. That father is probably no longer with us as you said, but you can do an act of kindness in his honor, as well as that of his daughter. When you encounter someone who needs a hug, or could use a box of chocolate, then do it in their memory. Start today. But in the meantime, I am sure that he understood that you felt for him. No more beating yourself up. Take care.

[Aliska]

Thank you. I will remember your post - and him. That's what I will do. I found all about him on rootsweb, he died March 17, 1989 in Plumas County, CA, never heard of that county. He had a ranch in Sonoma County when we rented from him. That's where his wife died in 1975. There was one surviving sibling of the daughter, didn't know much about the family.

I have a poor friend on welfare of one sort or another all her life, and I bought her a box of mint meltaways for Christmas a couple years back just before they announced that Fannie May was moving production to Mexico. I don't know if she ever had a box of nice candy in her life or which ones she would like the best, had a terrible time deciding there at the mall.

But that isn't enough. I'll remember what you said. There is another grave somewhere in Los Angeles, CA I'd like to honor that person, too, maybe they could have been cremated though. I did an ornery thing to her when I was about nine, and I just couldn't shake the guilt of it for most of my life. I tried to make it up to her in my childish way by taking her valentines to her house when she was sick and couldn't come to school. She is all but forgotten except for the CA death index, and I found a completed auction on ebay with an old magazine article about her.

A few other things I can more easily forgive myself for. A couple things would be considered a lot worse in the hierarchy of sins, but there are about probably 7 no 10, it keeps getting bigger! things most people might not think that awful if I could only have another chance . . .well in a way I have, but not the same people.

Well, I've been hurt badly, too, so maybe I paid my dues and then some.

You sound like a very kind person.

[oneamericanvoice]

You are welcome. Remember those words when you start beating yourself up. There are things that everyone, not just you, has done that we now regret. That is life. But while we can't undo what we have done, we can learn and do better, like the lesson you had with your school mate.

If you think of the things that you have done in the context of the things that you haven't, you will find that you aren't the bad person believe yourself to be. Positiveness is really important. The next time you go to the mall, sit and look at all the people, and know that each of them has done something that they wish they hadn't. Yet they go on. You've paid your dues and then some. So start living today.

You don't sound like a bad person to me. Afterall, you did take the box of chocolates to your poor friend. That is a big clue.

I try to be a kind person. Thank you for the compliment. I'm glad to help. Be well. Take care. Enjoy life!

[Richard Kimball]

Everything I've read says that Archer Daniels Midland keeps the money flowing to Congress to keep sugar high priced. ADM processes corn syrup. The only reason Coca Cola and most other soft drinks went to corn syrup is because there is a very stiff tariff on using cane sugar.

There is still one Dr. Pepper plant that uses sugar in Dublin, Texas, and I think there's a kosher Coke or something that uses it, but otherwise, it's corn syrup in soft drinks. Cokes haven't tasted the same for quite a few years.

I think they also did a lot of lobbying to get ethanol production mandated by the feds.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

When they come here, they get the same horrific symptoms. It has to do with the change in water. They aren't accustomed to ours, we aren't accustomed to theirs.

[RobRoy]

Geeze. Could these guys whine any worse. I've been in a company that was bought and we were all let go - eventually.

I put out my resume as soon as it was even REMOTELY apparent that an axe was going to fall.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

In the eighties my father worked many times as an engineering contractor with a company (Otto Durr), that did business with the Ford company.

Yes, the Ford factory workers were the best paid in Hermosillo. The average pay was $5.00 a day.

However, when shopping in the markets, we noticed that an umbrella cost $5.00

When my mother asked a young man about the daily wage and the expensive umbrellas he told her that the typical Mexican doesn't own an umbrella, no matter if he worked at Ford. Who in their right mind would spend a day's wages on an umbrella?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Tom (singing): I fell into a vat of chocolate. I fell into a vat of chocolate...

Dick (singing): What’d you do when you fell in the chocolate?

Both: La dee doo dum la dee doo dum day...

Tom (singing): I yelled ‘fire’ when I fell into the chocolate...

Dick (annoyed, singing): Why’d you yell ‘fire’ when you fell into the chocolate?

Tom: I yelled ‘fire’ cause no one would help me if I yelled ‘Chocolate!’

Both: La dee doo dum la dee doo dum day.