[NewHampshireDuo]

My guess is that the learning curve for a snack cake worker (aka machine minder) is about 1 hour. The “skilled” union folks can shove it.

[muawiyah]

A tour through a major commercial bakery is in order. It's all about the timing. That requires a bit more knowledge than just tending the machines, but it's an expensive enough proposition that the big story in baking is the development of a tremendous number of automated machines that take care of it.

The news stories about this very long event ~ multiple bankruptcies and all ~ do suggest that there were some facilities that were sufficiently automated with new investment that they'd be worth something. Those would probably be the ones opening up now. There will be many fewer employees there. But there will also be some automated equipment specialists making much more than any employee ever made in that factory.

The real issue is whether or not the Twinkies will last as long as the old custom made Twinkies!