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Union members striking outside the Hostess bakery in Lenexa, Kansas on Thursday said wages and benefits had already been shaved substantially in the company's years of financial struggles and further concessions were not feasible. They blame poor management for the company's woes.

"We want to go back to work. But all I've done since I've been here is give," said 35-year-old Dan Carlson, who mixes dough in the Lenexa plant for $17 an hour and has worked with Hostess for six years. "We can't keep giving."

Many union leaders and workers have been holding out hope that some other company would step in to buy Hostess and operate the bakeries, but Hostess has said that is not a possibility.

"There is a perception among some of our employees that a white knight is going to come in. There is no white knight," said Baldy.

D1B wrote: "There is a perception among some of our employees that a white knight is going to come in. There is no white knight," said Baldy.

JoltinJoe wrote:

D1B wrote: "There is a perception among some of our employees that a white knight is going to come in. There is no white knight," said Baldy.

Nice. Subtle.

But admit it, you've got to be broken-hearted over losing your Twinkies.

GannonFan wrote:It's a tough world out there. Surely someone somewhere can make Twinkies a heckuva lot cheaper than it takes to make Twinkies at that plant. And Twinkies last forever so long lead times and lengthy shipping channels don't matter with that stuff. Oh, and people stopped buying Twinkies too so demand is obviously way down (except for apparently hefty UNI grads). Just the reality of the world we live in - you can't pay people lots of money to do unskilled work to make a product that nobody wants.

Union members striking outside the Hostess bakery in Lenexa, Kansas on Thursday said wages and benefits had already been shaved substantially in the company's years of financial struggles and further concessions were not feasible. They blame poor management for the company's woes.

"We want to go back to work. But all I've done since I've been here is give," said 35-year-old Dan Carlson, who mixes dough in the Lenexa plant for $17 an hour and has worked with Hostess for six years. "We can't keep giving."

Many union leaders and workers have been holding out hope that some other company would step in to buy Hostess and operate the bakeries, but Hostess has said that is not a possibility.

"There is a perception among some of our employees that a white knight is going to come in. There is no white knight," said Baldy.

GannonFan wrote:It's a tough world out there. Surely someone somewhere can make Twinkies a heckuva lot cheaper than it takes to make Twinkies at that plant. And Twinkies last forever so long lead times and lengthy shipping channels don't matter with that stuff. Oh, and people stopped buying Twinkies too so demand is obviously way down (except for apparently hefty UNI grads). Just the reality of the world we live in - you can't pay people lots of money to do unskilled work to make a product that nobody wants.

clenz wrote:

GannonFan wrote:It's a tough world out there. Surely someone somewhere can make Twinkies a heckuva lot cheaper than it takes to make Twinkies at that plant. And Twinkies last forever so long lead times and lengthy shipping channels don't matter with that stuff. Oh, and people stopped buying Twinkies too so demand is obviously way down (except for apparently hefty UNI grads). Just the reality of the world we live in - you can't pay people lots of money to do unskilled work to make a product that nobody wants.

I'm a UNI grad and I haven't had a Twinkie since my freshman year of high school...and it was the only one I've ever had. Thought it was the most disgusting thing I'd ever eaten.

The Ho Hos on the other hand....**** awesome.



Also, you're getting paid $17 an hour to mix dough and your bitching? What the ****? I'd gladly take the pay raise to $17 to mix dough

clenz wrote:

GannonFan wrote:It's a tough world out there. Surely someone somewhere can make Twinkies a heckuva lot cheaper than it takes to make Twinkies at that plant. And Twinkies last forever so long lead times and lengthy shipping channels don't matter with that stuff. Oh, and people stopped buying Twinkies too so demand is obviously way down (except for apparently hefty UNI grads). Just the reality of the world we live in - you can't pay people lots of money to do unskilled work to make a product that nobody wants.

I'm a UNI grad and I haven't had a Twinkie since my freshman year of high school...and it was the only one I've ever had. Thought it was the most disgusting thing I'd ever eaten.

The Ho Hos on the other hand....**** awesome.



Also, you're getting paid $17 an hour to mix dough and your bitching? What the ****? I'd gladly take the pay raise to $17 to mix dough

D1B wrote:

GannonFan wrote:It's a tough world out there. Surely someone somewhere can make Twinkies a heckuva lot cheaper than it takes to make Twinkies at that plant. And Twinkies last forever so long lead times and lengthy shipping channels don't matter with that stuff. Oh, and people stopped buying Twinkies too so demand is obviously way down (except for apparently hefty UNI grads). Just the reality of the world we live in - you can't pay people lots of money to do unskilled work to make a product that nobody wants.

Good points. Somewhere in the article, management is blamed for the company's woes and I think they have a point. Hostess is making the same **** they were making when we were kids. There's been no product innovation or decent advertising/promotion.

Meanwhile, Little Debbies is kicking their ass with a changing product mix to compliment their mainstays, great product placement and affordable pricing. Seems they market their baked goods as if they were candy, which is smart cuz that's all that crap is.

Someone, progressive, can turn Hostess into a winner.

houndawg wrote:

clenz wrote: I'm a UNI grad and I haven't had a Twinkie since my freshman year of high school...and it was the only one I've ever had. Thought it was the most disgusting thing I'd ever eaten.

The Ho Hos on the other hand....**** awesome.



Also, you're getting paid $17 an hour to mix dough and your bitching? What the ****? I'd gladly take the pay raise to $17 to mix dough

That's not the issue the issue is would you do it for substantially less.


I think they're gone no matter what, big changes in diet going on these days and Twinkies continue to lose sales in any scenario..

houndawg wrote:

clenz wrote: I'm a UNI grad and I haven't had a Twinkie since my freshman year of high school...and it was the only one I've ever had. Thought it was the most disgusting thing I'd ever eaten.

The Ho Hos on the other hand....**** awesome.



Also, you're getting paid $17 an hour to mix dough and your bitching? What the ****? I'd gladly take the pay raise to $17 to mix dough

That's not the issue the issue is would you do it for substantially less.


I think they're gone no matter what, big changes in diet going on these days and Twinkies continue to lose sales in any scenario..

GannonFan wrote:

D1B wrote:
Good points. Somewhere in the article, management is blamed for the company's woes and I think they have a point. Hostess is making the same **** they were making when we were kids. There's been no product innovation or decent advertising/promotion.

Meanwhile, Little Debbies is kicking their ass with a changing product mix to compliment their mainstays, great product placement and affordable pricing. Seems they market their baked goods as if they were candy, which is smart cuz that's all that crap is.

Someone, progressive, can turn Hostess into a winner.

And that is always what makes a company stay in business - one that continually innovates and improves their product and the cost to make those products. And if the business fails, then management should and does shoulder a good portion of the blame. But it is a total business and the workers make up part of that and if they can't drive innovation and improvement at their level then they are responsible, to some extent, for the failure too. A company where even the guy on a processing line doing a menial job can't see to what extent he can help and aid the business is a company that is doomed for failure. This isn't the 50's anymore where labor just shows up, does some grunt work, expect to be paid handsomely, and go home while the management folks do everything else. Those businesses are long gone.

clenz wrote:

houndawg wrote:
That's not the issue the issue is would you do it for substantially less.


I think they're gone no matter what, big changes in diet going on these days and Twinkies continue to lose sales in any scenario..

Would I be willing to have "dough mixer" as my title and work for less than $17/hr? Probably....I'm mixing freaking dough....However, now that I know the going rate - HELL NO.


I'm in a "management" role in my current job and I'm making less than $17 an hour right now...

D1B wrote:

clenz wrote: Would I be willing to have "dough mixer" as my title and work for less than $17/hr? Probably....I'm mixing freaking dough....However, now that I know the going rate - HELL NO.


I'm in a "management" role in my current job and I'm making less than $17 an hour right now...

If memory serves, you're in retail? Retail has always had low wages.

The dough mixer I'm sure was a cherry picked position to support management's angle. However, any job that a bum off the street can do with 15 minutes of training either needs to be automated, absorbed into another position or paid significantly less than others.

clenz wrote:

D1B wrote:
If memory serves, you're in retail? Retail has always had low wages.

The dough mixer I'm sure was a cherry picked position to support management's angle. However, any job that a bum off the street can do with 15 minutes of training either needs to be automated, absorbed into another position or paid significantly less than others.

Yes, I'm in retail.

Yes, I feel I'm underpaid for what I do - especially given the way all 3 reviews I had with upper management this fall went - but I'm paid fairly for what I do, experience, etc... I'd like to make more, but I realize that my current position doesn't call for it so I'm not going to bitch.



If a fucking dough mixer is making $17 an hour what was everyone else making? No wonder the went fucking bankrupt.

D1B wrote:

clenz wrote: Yes, I'm in retail.

Yes, I feel I'm underpaid for what I do - especially given the way all 3 reviews I had with upper management this fall went - but I'm paid fairly for what I do, experience, etc... I'd like to make more, but I realize that my current position doesn't call for it so I'm not going to bitch.



If a fucking dough mixer is making $17 an hour what was everyone else making? No wonder the went fucking bankrupt.

You have a great first job, references, management experience....

Regarding the dough mixer, it depends on what they actually do. Alot of that shit is automated, or it should be. Some of those factory jobs suck dick big time too. Hard, life sucking labor....however, in a union plant, I doubt it.

D1B wrote:

clenz wrote: Yes, I'm in retail.

Yes, I feel I'm underpaid for what I do - especially given the way all 3 reviews I had with upper management this fall went - but I'm paid fairly for what I do, experience, etc... I'd like to make more, but I realize that my current position doesn't call for it so I'm not going to bitch.



If a fucking dough mixer is making $17 an hour what was everyone else making? No wonder the went fucking bankrupt.

You have a great first job, references, management experience....

Regarding the dough mixer, it depends on what they actually do. Alot of that shit is automated, or it should be. Some of those factory jobs suck dick big time too. Hard, life sucking labor....however, in a union plant, I doubt it.

Grizalltheway wrote:

D1B wrote:
You have a great first job, references, management experience....

Regarding the dough mixer, it depends on what they actually do. Alot of that shit is automated, or it should be. Some of those factory jobs suck dick big time too. Hard, life sucking labor....however, in a union plant, I doubt it.

Have you ever worked retail? I'd rather work in a scrapple plant than go back to that shit.

Grizalltheway wrote:

D1B wrote:
You have a great first job, references, management experience....

Regarding the dough mixer, it depends on what they actually do. Alot of that shit is automated, or it should be. Some of those factory jobs suck dick big time too. Hard, life sucking labor....however, in a union plant, I doubt it.

Have you ever worked retail? I'd rather work in a scrapple plant than go back to that shit.

clenz wrote:

D1B wrote:
You have a great first job, references, management experience....

Regarding the dough mixer, it depends on what they actually do. Alot of that shit is automated, or it should be. Some of those factory jobs suck dick big time too. Hard, life sucking labor....however, in a union plant, I doubt it.

FWIW, this isn't my "first job"....nor am I using it as a stepping stone. I have ever intention of staying with the company for my working life. I have a retirement plan right now that is "projected" to be about 5-6 million dollars by the time I'm 50-55, work for a company that offers a "Cadillac plan" under Obamacare, work for a company that is posting record business numbers and building massive new stores all over the country, have great opportunity to be in "upper management" by the time I'm 30. That could change, but name me many jobs that a 24 year old can have with that kind of projection from the start.

Grizalltheway wrote:

D1B wrote:
You have a great first job, references, management experience....

Regarding the dough mixer, it depends on what they actually do. Alot of that shit is automated, or it should be. Some of those factory jobs suck dick big time too. Hard, life sucking labor....however, in a union plant, I doubt it.

Have you ever worked retail? I'd rather work in a scrapple plant than go back to that shit.

Ibanez wrote:

Grizalltheway wrote:
Have you ever worked retail? I'd rather work in a scrapple plant than go back to that shit.

Automation is the future but that means less jobs for humans.

I'd do retail as a last resort, but I would prefer to never go back there. Too much B.S.

Ibanez wrote:

Grizalltheway wrote:
Have you ever worked retail? I'd rather work in a scrapple plant than go back to that shit.

Automation is the future but that means less jobs for humans.

I'd do retail as a last resort, but I would prefer to never go back there. Too much B.S.