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Must-see morning clip

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:17:00 +0000

"What could have destroyed this beloved American diabetes dispensary?" asks Jon Stewart, regarding the shuttering of Twinkie maker Hostess. Was it the unions? American moms? CEOs? Newt Gingrich? Jon Stewart takes a hard look at the death of the Twinkie and how America's future generations will "get by" without it.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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Could public health care have saved Hostess?

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Hostess Brands, maker of the Twinkie, announced its liquidation last week. This provoked a wave of now-more-than-everism, as both liberals and conservatives rushed to use the company’s failure as a testament to their longstanding hobbyhorses.

To the Right, of course, the end of Hostess is just another great opportunity to bash unions. Although perhaps it’s a sign of progress that even Fox News decided to soft-pedal this line, talking up the conciliatory position of the Teamsters while blaming the recalcitrance of the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers union for the closure. The idea that this is all about greedy unions is idiotic beyond belief, but sadly something we apparently still have to talk about. So if you don’t believe me you can go read Sarah Jaffe or Diana Reese.

New reason to move to Canada: More Twinkies

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 17:22:00 +0000

Americans started to panic after Hostess Brands, makers of Twinkies and Ding Dongs, moved to liquidate their assets last Friday. Although it's not clear what will happen to the now-endangered American species, the Canadian breed is doing just fine.

Reuters reports that Saputo Inc., Canada’s largest dairy processor, "has the trademark and brand rights to Hostess CupCakes and Hostess Twinkies." Sandy Vassiadis, a spokeswoman for Saputo, said, "It’s totally separate." She added, "We own the rights in Canada so what’s happening in the U.S. doesn't affect us.”

In other words, now the people who complain about Obamacare have another reason to move to Canada.

h/t Consumerist.

Mediation fails: Hostess, Twinkies back on the brink

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 03:59:00 +0000

Hostess Brands Inc. lived to die another day.

The maker of Twinkies and Ding Dongs said late Tuesday that it failed to reach an agreement with its second-biggest union. As a result, Hostess plans to continue with a hearing on Wednesday in which a bankruptcy court judge in White Plains, N.Y., will decide if the company can shutter its operations.

The renewed talks between Hostess and The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union came after the company declared last week that it would move to wind down its business and start selling off its assets in bankruptcy court. The company cited a crippling strike that was started on Nov. 9 by the union, which represents 30 percent of Hostess workers.

After making its case to liquidate on Monday, the bankruptcy court judge noted that the two sides hadn't yet tried resolving their differences through private mediation. The judge noted that 18,000 jobs were on the line and urged the company and union to try to resolve their differences. Both sides agreed to hold mediation proceedings on Tuesday.

In a statement late Tuesday, Hostess said it would not comment on the breakdown in talks other than to say that mediation "was unsuccessful." A lawyer for the bakers union said he had no comment, citing mediation ground rules.

Vulture capitalism — not unions — killed Twinkies

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:45:00 +0000

As the final Twinkies, Sno-Balls and those glowing orange cupcakes were stuffed with cream and wrapped in cellophane on Friday, the business world and much of the news media knew who was to blame for this dying American icon. It was the unions.

The Wall Street Journal described the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union as “The union that brought the 85-year-old baker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread to its knees.” Over at RedState, a headline tried to mix anti-union sentiment with conservative humor: “The Demise of Twinkies? Yes, It’s True. Parasitic Unions Kill Their Hosts (or, in this case, Hostess).”

As Hostess moved to end its operations last week -- a bankruptcy judge asked the company Monday to try mediation with its unions; those talks are scheduled to begin today -- commentators were eager to blame the rigidity of unions.

Buy a Twinkie for $8,000

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:50:00 +0000

Not long after Hostess Brands, the makers of junk-food classics like Ding Dongs and Twinkies, filed to liquidate its assets in bankruptcy court this morning, the rest of America began to panic: Will we lose our beloved Twinkies? Although the New York Times doubts that, the Internet, being what it is, found a way to turn the news into a two-second meme. People took to Amazon and eBay to auction off Twinkies, some for thousands of dollars, deeming them collectibles. Here are some of the best ones:

Product: Single "collector's item" Twinkie
Price: $8,000

Product: 10 count box of Twinkies
Price: $1,000

Product: A Hostess Twinkie Cake Adult Costume
Price: $46.69

Requiem for the Twinkie

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 19:57:00 +0000

Here's that abyss of chaos and destruction the Mayans warned us about, America. In a stunning bombshell, Hostess Brands announced Friday it was shuttering operations in its 33 plants and liquidating its wares. Chief executive Gregory Rayburn declared Hostess would be "promptly" laying off its 18,500 employees and "selling its assets to the highest bidders." And so this is how a once mighty purveyor of treats meets its end, with a sad "Hostess Brands is Closed" message on the Web page and in a bankruptcy court in White Plains, N.Y. Cue America dropping to its knees, shaking an angry fist at the sky, and screaming, "WHYYYY GODDDDD WHYYYY?"

The news of the 82-year-old brand's imminent demise — set in motion by declining consumer loyalty and a crippling Bakers Union strike — is a horrible blow to American business and workers, a sweeping job loss. It's also set off an avalanche of vows to hoard Twinkies till there are no Twinkies to hoard. As a friend mused Friday, "What am I going to get deep fried at state fairs now?" Yet even after the last Fruit Pie has been belched, the company's legacy as cultural touchstone will live on.