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Dave Kaup / Reuters
Hostess Brands Twinkies are on display in a supermarket in Kansas City, Kan., in this Nov. 16 file photo. The last shipment of Hostess-baked Twinkies are headed to supermarkets in Chicago Tuesday.
If you're craving a Twinkie (and you're in the Chicago area), you may have one more chance to get a box of the Hostess-baked cakes, but you have to be fast and lucky.
The last Twinkies shipment from the bankrupt baker will hit Chicago area Jewel-Osco supermarkets Tuesday morning, Hostess spokesman Tom Becker told TODAY.
Over 20,000 boxes were in the shipment from the Twinkies plant in Columbus, Ga. They will sell for regular retail face value ($3.59 for a box of 10) until supplies run out, with no per customer limit. Jewel-Osco posted a delivery schedule on their Facebook page with the locations of all their stores that will receive the final batch of creme-filled delights and their expected time of delivery.
After this final batch of Twinkies runs out, there will be no more Twinkies on store shelves until (if and when) the brand is bought and restarted. Twinkies lovers will have to turn to secondary markets like eBay, Craigslist, or some guy selling them out of a storage locker he's stacked full of hoarded Twinkies.
When negotiations with its unions failed this winter, Twinkies-maker Hostess declared bankruptcy and began liquidating the company. Having received hundreds of inquiries from interested buyers, it's likely that much like the product itself, Twinkies will never die. They just might not be baked or delivered by union hands, and those hands might not be American.
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The final shipment of Hostess Twinkies hit Chicago's Jewel-Osco stores and are flying off the shelves at $3.59 a box. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
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buh bye, overpaid union thugs, welcome to your new obamaphones
Great. Let's get rid of all the unions. Soon we can all work for peanuts and die poor, probably in a work related accident. Welcome to the new Gilded Age.
I'm not in a union and my pay is fine. But then again I get my butt up and go to work everyday without whining about it.
It wasn't the unions fault, not only had they taken pay cuts, the company was taking their pension money and using it for the company.
Before you shoot your mouth off about unions, get the facts.
The fact is that companies don't want to pay you a living wage, and if it weren't for unions demanding that you would have been living in a vastly different America.
I have to wonder at people who shot unions down and I wonder if its not some business owner who wants you to work for pennies while they are paid millions running a business down like the people at Hostess did and then blame the union.
The company already admitted to taking pension funds from the workers, but the person who filed for bankruptcy would have you believe it was those greedy, selfish, money hungry workers (sarcasm).
So many people believe whatever these billionaires tell them.
@Miaw you say they were overpaid. How much did they make?
$130,000 for a driver of a truck before benefits.....with taxes and benefits, probably costing hostess twice that...after seperate trucks to deliver bread and cakes, twice that again.....
Cite your source, Miaw. I do not at all believe that $130,000 number.
@Miaw You're totally making that up.
Not all unions are to blame, the Teamsters reached an agreement with Hostess and made concessions. It was the bakers' union who tried to call management's bluff.
Don't worry pubbies, Hostess is sending all the remaining Ding-Dongs to red states! How appropriate!
Read the Wall Street Journal search for "Hostess Truck Driver". There is a good analysis of the teamster salaries for truck drivers.
Right... it was the union's fault... not the CEO's who said they couldn't afford to pay their workers but gave themselves billion dollar bonuses in spite of the closings.
Your sending us off on a wild goose chase? If you cite a figure, it is your responsibility to provide the source, not ours to seek it out.
As with any bankruptcy, the problem has many sources. Also, Hostess brand is no stranger to bankruptcies.
With sales dropping year after year, down 28% since 2004, it is apparent that the problem lies in the product line. High labor costs didn't help the situation, but it's certainly not the cause of their downfall. More can be attributed to the debt incurred as a result of the previous bankruptcies than can be to the current labor costs.
This talk all ignores the fact that the best selling products will be bought by other companies and produced.
It figures, the last Twinkies go to Mob town.
Okay, Miaw, let's say you are correct about the Teamster drivers getting $130,000 per year, which I don't believe, unless you are including overtime. The CEO, who ran Hostess into the ground was making $125,000 per month - almost 12 times what the drivers were making. Not only that, but I think they still had plants in the New York Metro area. While $130,000 per year (if true) would be 4 times the average salary in, say Mississippi, it is middle class pay in the NY Metro area. If you make $40,000 in that area, you would also need assistance to make ends meet.
Mercury, the $130,000 figure doesn't come from a legitimate source -- only random blogs.
There's only one CEO...there were lots of teamster drivers...one should point out if all the mountains in this world were leveled out, the mean elevation of the earth would rise only six inches. Yet from the rain clouds going over the mountains spring all the rivers of this world and all the agriculture and drinking water. If the mountains were not there and the world was flat, it would be a desert.
as news comes out how the company was operated, we find out the executives were never going to get this company anywhere and took the money and ran with it, and still running with what every they can get from the retirements of the workers
Miaw: It's possible for the route sales supervisor to make less than the top route salesperson. But the CEO is not going to make less than their truck driver. Your figures are not verifiable or credible. In other words, they're made up.
Get over your Union rants. You can diss on the employers all you want but it won't change the fact that there is rampant graft, greed and corruption in the Unions. And they literally do use thugs to threaten and intimidate people who are not supportive of them. Union supporters seem to be people who think there should be one salary fits all - your paper delivery boy should make what your heart surgeon makes. Think about - wouldn't we all just want to be paperboys if that were the case? Who in their right minds would take on all the stress and responsibility of the higher paid jobs if the Democrats, Unions and Socialists all had their way?
People speak of Unions like the Unions actually have any more power then to suck the money out of peoples pockets then speak on their behalf. Unions don't have any power, the only reason the teamsters even seemed to have power was because the mafia used weapons to beat people up. I have enough balls to stand and speak for myself. Why would I need to pay someone to do it for me? If the people at twinkies had any brains they would have worked out a deal and stopped paying 10% to a Union they didnt need and that would have made up the difference they were asking for. Companies cant @!$%# extra money they dont have comming in! But all that money they paid to that worless Union it seems didnt do them any good at all and proves that Unions are powerless!Good Luck in the Unemployeement line twinkie workers, Maybe next time you should look for a job thats Union free and keep the money in your pocket!
How can so many people be so scared of getting paid what they along with their skills are actually worth? Someone unloading trucks getting paid more than a nurse or a teacher. Really! Anyone, even a mentally retarded person can be taught to unload trucks. What is the training period, 1 hour? A teacher goes to school for 4+ years and has to update their training every couple of years and yet BUBBA is making more unloading trucks? I commend anyone for working with all the government handouts available but get a grip on yourself and have some self pride. The unions are running your jobs out of your atate and out of our country.
If these Twinkies are still made in the USA that will be fine by me. However if they are made out of country I will never buy another "Twinkies" and then I'll try and make my own. I love Twinkies.
I'm going to Jewel!!!
What about the states of CO and WA? They passed the law that makes smoking marijuana legal and now when they get their "Twinkies Munchies Fix" they're gonna have to "jones" it - not fair man!
It's a long road trip to Chicago, man!
Quit stirring the pot Jack. Your upsetting the Indians.
GA TOG 1
Yeah, I've been known to throw alittle s**t in the game, just to see who gets drawn in! LOL Have a good day!
Yup, this is what you get with unions. Ruining the business with blackmail. Yeah, union "protection", what a bunch of @!$%#.
Shipwrecked... you must realize that this was all on the upper management, right? They drove the company into the ground on purpose. It was already in bankruptcy, the union had already taken three pay cuts, and the CEO tripled his own salary during that time (since he knew the company didn't have much longer). This is what you get with your loving "job creators", peons. The management plundered this company.
You better hurry Mr Binkie, Archie Bunker is moving to the area and he'll be buying up all the Twinkies!
My condolences to all you Twinkie lovers but, to me, Twinkies tasted oily/greasy and were not on my list of snack treats.
But White Castle hamburgers???!!!!.....oh, baby!
Good for Jewel, they scored a final bit of Golden treasure.
I wonder if it will end up as a specially wrapped gift from Santa ? *HINT*
This is sort of sad. I even tried to go out and buy a box for my kids so that they would know what they are missing. To bad, so sad no more twinkies.
Do you think your kids miss watching the Lone Ranger? Or Sky King (brought to you by Nabisco)? Do your kids miss Wampum Corn Chips? Or Screaming Yellow Zonkers?
Someone else will be making them within a year.
omg i so miss screaming yellow zonkers!!!! Oh the childhood of the 70's
I really HOPE SO MAN!!!!
Sad? Think of the chemicals, fats & sugars they're missing. You're doing them a huge favor!
If you're a fan of Screaming Yellow Zonkers, they're apparently being produced on a limited edition basis at Walgreens as of May 2012, according to Wiki...
What's sad is the tens of thousands of employees that worked for decades and paid for their pensions only to lose them to sociopathic greed. Your kid will get over it.
Yes they will get over it and I'm thinking you all missed the sarcasm.
It is very sad for the folks out of a job. It was sad when all those Old GM workers were out of a job. It was sad when Blockbuster closed their doors. It was sad when Fessler USA said it was done after over 100 years. It was sad when Suzuki announced it would close all US dealerships and leave the US market. If the United States cannot be competitive in the world there are many jobs that will just be gone.
Perhaps Apple, who has said they would manufacture one product in their line in the US, will be a spring board for others, but then I don't think anyone can really hang their hat on a token effort as we don't yet know what sort of pay they will be offering on their manufacturing line.
I am so sure that FLYeisty will take a minute or two off Newsvine to run to the store and purchase enough Twinkies to last through the Chicago winter since those doughnuts she has in storage are getting stale.
The walmarts in Alabama have the ding dongs for 50 cents a box. my mother bought 10 boxes and put them in the freezer. you can freeze them.
lukebandit....yea you can freeze them but I think they are already so choke full of preservatives that it would be unnecessary.
Hey union workers, know what is worse than not getting a ton of money for a mediocre job? Standing in the unemployment line. Good job guys, real smart!
Maybe the unions were pissed at the CEO getting a 300% raise in salary. At any rate, the workers will get hired - by whoever takes over the product lines.
Not if they leave the area. But I do agree that greed goes all the way to the top. Just like the big 3, $10- $20,000,000 bonuses, for what? How can someone like that complain about higher taxes if that number is your year end bonus, what ever they do they don't work any harder than the rest of us, and we don't get those kinds of raises. But that does not mean you quit the job you already have, there is always someone hungrier that will do it for less.
Right - because 40K/year is a ton of money. By your logic, why not blame the flour and sugar vendors as well for not lowering their prices - after all selling some product is better than not selling any.
The market has spoken - the product demand did not justify the costs of doing business. Parent's don't pack Twinkies and Ho Hos in lunch boxes anymore. Adults don't pick up a pack at the 7-11. The company simply did not adjust to a changing market place which has ZERO to do with unions.
Had management tried to change the product mix and the unions objected, then yes, I'd be happy to blame them. But using them as a scapegoat now is a ridiculous argument.
The problem with Hostess was not the unions it was leveraged buyout after leveraged buyout (The kind of thing the Romney's Bain capital does). Each time the company was bought they changed management teams. These teams would come in to “fix” the place. The way they tried to fix it was to first get concessions from the unions, then place new burdens on the company, the next management team would come in to “fix” the place. They would start just like prior management they would get more concessions and place more burdens until the company just could not function. The union just realized that even if they kept making concessions the company was dead. It was killed by management not unions.
Greed destroyed Hostess, plain & simple. The union, as usual, did no favors for anyone and lead to thousands becoming unemployed. The high-ups agreed to stay and handle the year-long liquidation but only if they were paid bonuses into the millions. And they got it. Great job (clapping)!
did you say the same thing when then Home Depot CEO Robert Nardelli was canned because the stock price did not move in 6 years-and walked away with 210 million "in get lost severance pay". clown then moved to Chrysler Car Company and did the same thing.
American CEO's make 500 times American workers pay, in Europe and Asia it is only 30-50.........bash the unions if it makes you feel like BMOC, but also bash overpaid third tier CEO's.-outlaw stock options and severance pay for poor performance-just kick them to the curb with two weeks pay. its only fair-right union haters.
time to get rid of the contract for employment , get paid for being on the job, in the office. at your desk or machine
This story makes it clear why Michigan is passing right to work laws. Labor unions are screwing the people! Half of hostess screwed themselves and the other half (union). Ignorance and corruption has destroyed the US Labor movement. Unfortunately they linked up with Chicago Democrats - the most politically corrupt city in the nation.
Unions lose. Management wins. Wage gap increases. Economy tanks. We all die poor.
Except for three of us who will be the wealthy overlords cackling at our despair. Truth is, human nature dictates that greed will motivate man to get what they can at the cost of others. Unions are a protection from that. Federal regulations are a protection from that. Adjustable tax rates are a protection from that. Notice a trend? The protections for the poor against basic human greed are all the key items that the right fights against.
Let me make it clear....
The wealthy in this country are not benevolent, loving parent figures. They are not the "job creators". They do not have your best interests at heart, and when you let them do exactly as they please, it will not be for your benefit. This is a generalization, of course, but a true one. These are the same people who fight against minimum wage, that's right, they don't want to pay their workers 15K a year for full time work. Consider that for a bit.
You may the least informed person I have ever heard of. So all those thousands of businesses who employ millions of us are jus t greedy monsters? They work to create new products, industries, businesses, EMPLOYERS, risk their homes, bunkruptcy, saving etc. for what, nothing? They shouldn't being rewarded for what they have created? That people who build nothing, create no wealth, take no risks, should be equally rewarded. Really, have you ever run a business? The incentive for wealth is what has created nearly ever invention, luxury, necessity, and comfort you have and you think that it is bad. Wow, growth up!
To be honest I never really liked Twinkies. I'll get Little Debbie chocolate cupcakes though.
MIAW, what are you talking about? Union thugs and Obamaphones in the same post? You are truly a T.V. educated moron. Do just a tiny bit of research into each topic and when you do, come back to the board and share what you've learned. I believe in free speech for all, just wish there was a discussion board for adults and one for children.
As for the story, yes, way to go union fools. "I want more money or I will hold your company hostage by going on strike" Looks like you all got what unions deserve.
Yes, I passionately disagree with unions (and foolish posts). IMO
Educate yourselves. Sure the union played a part in the shutting down of the company. But the owners didnt stop themselves from taking huge bonuses either from a company that was teetering on the edge. So corp greed played a large part too.
As for twinkies, I wont miss them, But I did like the occasional pack of Ho-Ho's!
All the union-hating T-bag corporate shills have come out of the woods. What a bunch of twinkies.
Still available in Canada
Damn sad day in the U.S. But I will NOT buy Twinkies made outside of the U.S.
Just TV's , Clothes, Toys, Electronics ...... glad to see we have drawn a line in the sand.
I won't buy Twinkies made inside the U.S. either.
Most food items sold in the US are produced here.
You should try Vachon cakes. They are made in Canada and far superior to Hostess. I discovered them on a trip to Montreal. Supermarkets near me started carrying them in July. I'll take a Jos Louis or Ah Caramel over a Twinkie or Ding Dong any day.
Not that the Unions aren't part of it, but it sounds like the Management and the Venture Capital firms were also a big part of why the company failed. Executives were receiving 80% pay increases/bonuses and the company was being loaded down with debt. I'm not sure how much of it was the case here, but apparently an "investment plan" of many modern venture capital firms is to buy a perfectly solvent business, make cuts everywhere possible and load it down with debt to extract as much money from it as possible. Until it collapses under its own weight of course, then sell they off the parts.
Still available in Canada
Anooc2 You got it right on the button THIS OUTFIT{HOSTESS BRANDS}was robbed of funds by wall street vultures.Dont pay attention to idiots who hate unions but would die to have a great union job instead of flipping hamburgers or pumping gas.They say these twinkies are from georgia im going to check the plant number on the box to see if hostess is lying as usual .The workers got sold out by everyone and cheated out of there severance pay.owed vacation,no insurance,no 90 day notice because they claim they have no money while the execs are giving themselves more bonuses and our fearless leader gets 250 thousand dollars a month .
"our fearless leader gets 250 thousand dollars a month." ? Who are you talking about? The CEO of Hostess? The Potus?
There is more corruption within organized labor than there is in the business world. More likely than not Hostess paid the head of the confectioners union to reject any proposal for a fat payment under the table so Hostess could close the business and clean it out.
Let it die - All hostess cakes taste like cardboard w/some sort of glue filling called "creme", Twinkies, Ding Dongs, YoHos, or whatever .. yuk. Little Debbie for half the cost, tastes much better and that's not saying much either. Home made or nothing for me !!
I feel bad for the 18,000 workers who made a pittance, I'm sure and had every reason to holler for their pensions, rights, decent pay. It's like that everywhere but of course, not for the enrichme self-serving GOP billionaire/millionaire CEO crowd. And they still are trying to screw the American People as I type this. Boehmer talks the talk, but is afraid to walk the walk for the 98% of us. May upset his Orange Faced smirk...
I would say that many of us "idiots" who disagree with union practices do so because we actually have "self motivation" and "work ethic" so our skills allow us to not have to be protected by a group to keep our jobs and earn a comfortable living. We earn what we have, greater risk = greater reward.
Whats comfortable to you minimum wage or no benefits .Everyone has skills but you should be fairly compensated for your work.You got alot to learn son !
I've learned enough to know that I determine my own future. Never had a handout, never got a job because of who my family members know. I just earned it, same as many. If these workers know that management makes all of this money, and they get nothing, go to school, educate yourself better, then go back and be in management, then you make your money. Standing in line making twinkies should not pay the same as a guy who runs into a burning house to save a family, nor should they have the same benefit package. Want more money, start working more with your brains than your tear ducts.
Are you a Baby Boomer?
No I am not. Just another hard working man. No label, titles, or genres.
Right, but which age group?
Boom!
Its right in front of you.
I'm surprised. You don't often see people put their real birth year in their username.
What's your profession?
Classified. Nothing personal, but one personal question is enough. We are discussing Twinkies, unions, and labor- related beliefs. Not me.
What is your opinion of Twinkies.
Im going to check the code on the box to see if hostess is trying to pull a fast one.Some one will buy the brands as we were making loads of money.Its a sad day when a iconic company can be looted by wall street investors and nothing happens to the theifs.Enjoy your twinkies they will be back merry Christmas and happy holidays.
What "fast one" are they pulling? Selling the product at their regular price?
I wish the media would tell the full story. The union made concessions, but then management continued to make bad decisions. On top of that, the executives took huge bonuses!! Then, they went back to the union and wanted even more concessions and the union said no.
If my boss cut my pay, took a huge bonus for himself, then wanted to cut my pay again, I'd say no also.
All but one union worked with management and agreed to new contracts to keep the company afloat. Only the Bakers Union refused to support a contract that would have kept the company in business. Teamsters not only voted to approve a new contract, but they actually crossed the Bakers Union picket lines - something almost unheard of. The fault here lies with the Bakers Union.
Management never intended to keep the company going. Liquidation is their business as is that of all firms that have the words equity or capital in their name.
Exactly, I would refuse wage cuts even if it meant being fired!The rich should be ashamed of themselves for how they are treating us workers!
Can I use my foodstamps to buy Twinkies?
Unions. guess its better to go on unemployment for a while than have a job. dumb smart ass idiots. they won't be so cocky when their unemployment runs out. then they will wish they had Twinkies to eat.
I miss the lemon pies!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even though they were at $1.79 down here in San Diego.
Corporate raiders vs greedy unions? Gee... who to root for. I think I'll just root for the dozens of other companies that make Twinkie-esque products and other Hostess clone products that will now be the calorie bombs of choice for our ever-fattening American public.
Please someone get them back on track!!! Preferably here in the states!!!
Don't worry, they'll be back. Someone will buy the rights to the name and the recipe. There have already been offers and discussions with other companies.
I saw people at a local store clamoring over the Hostess section upon the news of the company shutting down. They were like animals, bumping into one another, shoving & pushing. It was 'black friday' pandemonium in the bread aisle as they tried to fill their carts with whatever Hostess remnant they could muster.
If you look on eBay you can still buy a box of Twinkies- might cost you $50 but they can still be had.
The unions will all be gone in the near future.Then what? The wages and benefits will drop like a rock. No place is going to pay a dime more than they have to. All you people that enjoy your good paying non union job better make the most of it. That welding job may not be yours when a laid off union person agrees to take it over for less just to survive.What will your boss say then? ""Wow I can get the same job done for less?bye bye loyal worker,oh by the way fast food is hiring."This very thing has and is happening right now. I am old,retired,and wont be here much longer so Ill make it to the end,but what about you younger people with families to raise? Will you be able to make it with 20 cent wages and 40 cent meat? Best of luck to all.......Luck,yep thats what we need.
It will all be gone before then...country will be broke. the dollar will be worthless, and companies will be making everything in canada, mexico or china
The last twinkie should be bronzed and placed in the Chicago Art Institute!