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Twinkies bakers say they'd rather lose jobs than take pay cuts
reuters ^ | 11/22/2012 | By Carey Gillam and Martinne Geller

Posted on 11/22/2012 4:15:23 AM PST by tobyhill

After several years of costly concessions, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco and Grain Millers Union (BCTGM) authorized a walk-out earlier this month after Hostess received bankruptcy court approval to implement a wage cut that was not included in its contract.

With operations stalled, the company that makes Twinkies and other famous U.S. brands said last week that liquidating its business was the best way to preserve its dwindling cash. It won court approval on Wednesday to start winding down in a process expected to claim 15,000 jobs immediately and over 3,000 more after about four months.

Interviews with more than a dozen workers showed there was little sign of regret from employees who voted for the strike. They said they would rather lose their jobs than put up with lower wages and poorer benefits.

"They're just taking from us," said Kenneth Johnson, 46, of Missouri. He said he earned roughly $35,000 with overtime last year, down from about $45,000 five years ago.

"I really can't afford to not be working, but this is not worth it. I'd rather go work somewhere else or draw unemployment," said Johnson, a worker at Hostess for 23 years.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
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To: Sacajaweau

Disgusting given that when life started for me as a recent entry to the postal service, my wife as an accountant makes more than I do, but she demands, thankfully, and expects thankfully, that I work really hard to contribute. Frankly, a good man should seek a good wife like that who expects him to work hard more than earn plenty of money.


81 posted on 11/22/2012 6:34:56 AM PST by Morpheus2009
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To: tobyhill
Also keep in mind that they will have to pay for Cobra at $300-$400 a month instead of the $100 a month they were offered

The Brave Pioneers of the Healthcare Exchange... Has an Orwellian ring to it.

82 posted on 11/22/2012 6:38:37 AM PST by ez (When you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail.)
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To: tobyhill
http://legalinsurrection.com/2012/11/branco-cartoon-stuffed-turkey/


83 posted on 11/22/2012 6:39:01 AM PST by newfreep (Breitbart sent me...)
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To: tobyhill
He said he earned roughly $35,000 with overtime last year

That's more than my paycheck and it's way more than unskilled labor should be making. Whatever happened with the true meaning of minimum wage? Minimum skills should only get you minimum wages. Watching to make sure the Twinkies package is properly sealed doesn't require that many brain cells. Fine, fire him and hire someone who wants to work.

84 posted on 11/22/2012 6:39:11 AM PST by bgill (We've passed the point of no return. Welcome to Al Amerika.)
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To: tobyhill

Liquidate. It is a good thing, and will shed the blood sucking unions from a quality that will survive.

Dismantle, and sell the assets, which are assets because of the quality of the product. And that will live on. The intellectual property, recipes , the legal rights are all protected property of the owners, and a new company will buy and transfer that property away from the unions, and produce Twinkies and the other successful products again, as good as ever and probably at less expense to the consumer.

Count on it, and thank God.


85 posted on 11/22/2012 6:51:02 AM PST by Wildbill22
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To: autumnraine

What are those liquidation bonuses??? I haven’t seen the number.


86 posted on 11/22/2012 6:51:44 AM PST by Uncle Chip
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To: tobyhill

not such a bad gig if you can get it...

http://www.stripersonline.com/t/869189/60k-per-household-per-year-of-welfare-benefits-going-to-to-those-one-welfare


87 posted on 11/22/2012 6:53:36 AM PST by mo (If you understand, no explanation is needed. If you don't understand, no explanation is possible.)
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To: tobyhill

Twinkies were out and out junk and crap. They tasted so artificial. But I liked the Hostess Snowballs when I was little. Chocolate cake in a stretchy marshmallow coconut wrapper.

Looks like the Hostess workers are looking forward to and like the idea of getting two or more years of Obama style extended unemployment benefits. So the taxpayers will be supporting these leeches


88 posted on 11/22/2012 6:56:41 AM PST by dennisw ( The first principle is to find out who you are then you can achieve anything -- Buddhist monk)
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To: tobyhill

Is there any pension for these guys or is that all gone too.


89 posted on 11/22/2012 6:56:48 AM PST by Uncle Chip
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To: napscoordinator
More interesting would be knowing what his position was, and how come he is only making $35,000 a year after 23 years on the job. My first real job about 25 years ago paid $36k and I was inexperienced and unskilled at the time. O also worked construction in the early 90’s at over $13/hour.

Maybe it sounds cruel, but people can earn what they're worth if they put some effort into it. Unions tend to kill that progress in people.

90 posted on 11/22/2012 6:58:03 AM PST by Woodman
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To: Sacajaweau

“The dude said he’d rather draw unemployment than work for more money ?????”

Welcome to Obama’s America. The Bible says there are no tears in Heaven. Still... What must our Christian forefathers be thinking to see what their country has become?


91 posted on 11/22/2012 6:58:25 AM PST by MayflowerMadam
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To: tobyhill

Bold statements now, let’s hear from them again in a year.


92 posted on 11/22/2012 7:02:11 AM PST by NonValueAdded ("Our president ... makes big speeches packed full of little ideas" Charles C. W. Cooke)
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To: Slambat

Unions wanted Obama and now they are
too ckicken$h1T to admit who’s really responsible for this
disaster. Sorry to say but the unions have to go.

I think Unions were good when they started but they went down hill from about 1970 til today. I think they know who is to blame deep down.


93 posted on 11/22/2012 7:02:48 AM PST by napscoordinator (GOP Candidate 2020 - "Bloomberg 2020 - We vote for whatever crap the GOP puts in front of us.")
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To: tobyhill; ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas; stephenjohnbanker; DoughtyOne; Gilbo_3; NFHale; Impy; ...

Proof that Democrats would rather have welfare and food stamps than jobs.


94 posted on 11/22/2012 7:04:15 AM PST by sickoflibs (How long before cry-Bohner caves to O again? They took the House for what?)
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To: tobyhill

They made their wish come true.

A gang of Teamsters should hang around the last work day and take these idiots for a ride.


95 posted on 11/22/2012 7:06:22 AM PST by Iron Munro (Michelle and Barack: Robbing From The Hood and Boy Blunder)
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To: Sacajaweau

Here’s the other thing. To keep thier health care it will have to be COBRA and you have to pay a pretty good lick to keep it in force.
These people are not thinking things through at all.


96 posted on 11/22/2012 7:11:18 AM PST by Captain Peter Blood
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To: tobyhill

“It sure beats having to work for a living.” - Old union motto


97 posted on 11/22/2012 7:12:32 AM PST by FlingWingFlyer (Amnesty - Obama's bailout of Mexico. Barry sticks it to America again!)
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To: sickoflibs

sad but true..my daughter is one of them..she moved home to live off my retirement.


98 posted on 11/22/2012 7:13:20 AM PST by dalebert
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To: tobyhill
Twinkies bakers say they'd rather lose jobs than take pay cuts

Wish granted!

99 posted on 11/22/2012 7:22:10 AM PST by Road Warrior ‘04 (I miss President Bush! 2012 - The End Of An Error! (Oathkeeper))
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To: Salamander

Yea, really. It should be zero weeks because those idiots quit when given an ultimatum.


100 posted on 11/22/2012 7:22:42 AM PST by mazda77
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