Hostess' Union Wins Big

[Billy Johnso]

Originally Posted by Poncherello

There were no shareholders since Hostess inc was not a publicly traded company.




In March of this year, the Chief Restructuring Officer, Greg Rayburn, cut the salaries of the top four Hostess executives to $1 immediately upon his hire.

http://management.fortune.cnn.com/20...kies-bankrupt/



Because there were no shareholders. In fact the company offered 25% ownership to union employees in the the deal they turned down.

Before March of this year. The Hostess’s failure was compounded by having six CEO’s in 8 years who had no experience in the bread or cake baking industry, and despite their financial woes, the company’s CEO got a 300% salary increase from $750,000 to $2,250,000, and other top executives received raises worth hundreds-of-thousands of dollars; all while the company was struggling. Instead of acknowledging the lack of competent leadership and exorbitant executive salaries as contributing to the company’s decision to close its doors. Those figures do not include bonus's.
There workers contract were to take a 27 to 32 percent cuts in wages and benefits offered by management at the last contract talks. This would be the second pay cut for these workers in less than 10 years. The washington post http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...s=rss_politics

[Vette_Newb]

Originally Posted by Billy Johnso

It is not just one guy. There is a board of directors at that company, and never mind the shareholders. I do believe the ceos/shareholders deserve their pay, but not one of them took a pay cut, or were asked to. The company would never even ask the shareholders to give back. The Blue collar workers at Hostess already took a pay cut a few years back and now are asked to do it again. It sucked that this all went down, just like a lot of company's across this country, but all am saying is everyone points to blame the little guy or in this case unions. It all starts at the management, when things are good they raise their salaries, to the millions, and get huge bonus's. Then when time gets tuff, they don’t take a pay cut, but ask the little guy? Their salaries and bonuses are million upon millions of dollars. If they gave a % back to the company, it would have done well. It might have saved the company? No one will ever know.

Originally Posted by Poncherello

There were no shareholders since Hostess inc was not a publicly traded company.

In March of this year, the Chief Restructuring Officer, Greg Rayburn, cut the salaries of the top four Hostess executives to $1 immediately upon his hire.

http://management.fortune.cnn.com/20...kies-bankrupt/

Because there were no shareholders. In fact the company offered 25% ownership to union employees in the the deal they turned down.

Well Billy, looks like you can gather up your crayons and helmet and head out..

[Billy Johnso]

Originally Posted by Vette_Newb

Well Billy, looks like you can gather up your crayons and helmet and head out..

There six ceo's plus top executives took a 300% pay increase in the last eight years. The workers took a pay cut already. They want them to take another pay cut. So now the Ceos work for one dollar? I'm guessing those same ceo's will be just fine. Why would that be? I'm looking at the whole picture. You are looking at the workers and that they should take less money, while the big wigs took huge pay for so many years. You must be a Ceo? The workers did not get them in this mess; the big pay out to the ceo's and poor management started this mess.

By the way at least I can color in the lines. Have fun staying back in kindergarten.

[sixpeedreams]

You know a company isn't taking advantage of its workers when its going broke. With all our labor laws the unions are no longer needed. That's why they are dying out -- except in the public sector where there is no competition, no need to attract customers, no need to meet a budget, and no way to go out of business. Democrats want equality but their ideas don't even attempt to produce goods, services or freedom -- they just shuffle them around, wasting much of it, and weaken the link between hard work, sacrifice, and prosperity. In the end every-day Americans just become equally poor and dependent.

[Poncherello]

Originally Posted by Billy Johnso

Before March of this year. The Hostess’s failure was compounded by having six CEO’s in 8 years who had no experience in the bread or cake baking industry,

That didn't seem to matter to people like you when the country elected a President with no experience other than agitating communities.

and despite their financial woes, the company’s CEO got a 300% salary increase from $750,000 to $2,250,000, and other top executives received raises worth hundreds-of-thousands of dollars; all while the company was struggling.

That CEO resigned in May. The top four executives had their salaries cut to $1. Your article fails to mention to that.

There workers contract were to take a 27 to 32 percent cuts in wages and benefits offered by management at the last contract talks.

These workers were offered 25% ownership in the company, anyone with half a brain knows that's a good deal. But instead of taking the risk to reap the benefit this union wanted all the benefits with none of the risk. They were also offered representation on the board of directors and $100 million in company debt to be repaid at a later date. In case you don't understand the benefits of an employee owned company..... the benefits that would have gone to shareholders and Wall St. instead go to the workers. Take a look at PCL Constructiuon Enterprises in Denver, that $4 billion company has 2200 employees with an average compensation of $94,000+..... an employee owned company. The best companies with the best working conditions, highest pay, best benefits, and best strategies are employee owned.

This would be the second pay cut for these workers in less than 10 years. The washington post http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...s=rss_politics

They were asked to take an 8% pay cut with a 3% raise at the start of the second year and 1% raise in the last year in exchange for 25% ownership. With that ownership, the benfits would have outweighed the lost 4% salary but the Bakers union was to short sighted to see that. The Teamsters, while not endorsing the contract, understood that it should be up to members to decide because ultimately it was their lives that were affected. The much smaller bakers union screwed over thousands of others for their own short sighted greed.

[sixpeedreams]

Originally Posted by Billy Johnso

You are looking at the workers and that they should take less money, while the big wigs took huge pay for so many years...the big pay out to the ceo's and poor management started this mess.

That could be true but you still don't have the right to tell someone else how to run THEIR company or how much THEY should pay themselves. Run your own company if you want that. This is called private property ownership and it is foundational to freedom -- owning the fruits of your personal time, labor, and investments. Every worker in this country is protected by adequate labor laws and has the right to choose who they work for, how much they are willing to work for, or whether they will work and prosper at all. Every worker also has the right to strike and to help bring a company down, but that has helped no one at Hostess -- not the management, workers, or the union.

[Vette_Newb]

Originally Posted by Billy Johnso

There six ceo's plus top executives took a 300% pay increase in the last eight years. The workers took a pay cut already. They want them to take another pay cut. So now the Ceos work for one dollar? I'm guessing those same ceo's will be just fine. Why would that be? I'm looking at the whole picture. You are looking at the workers and that they should take less money, while the big wigs took huge pay for so many years. You must be a Ceo? The workers did not get them in this mess; the big pay out to the ceo's and poor management started this mess.

Yes, I am. Yes, I put in the 60-90 hours a week for 10 years to build this thing (Sorry Barry, I did build this) while the employees were doing their shift and not worrying about keeping it afloat, finding funding, making sure they had a job to come to every week, trying to juggle a family in the mean time, while the employees spent their evenings and weekends bar-b-que'ing, etc. There are many of us who set out to build something that benefits many people. I wouldn't live in a state where I had to have unions do anything, simply because they are vampires. Union employees care about 2 things, union bennies and bitching about management.

Most (not all) CEO's earn their top pay from years of sacrificing. Most (not all) union employees earn their shitty pay from years of trying to destroy what someone else built.

Originally Posted by Billy Johnso

By the way at least I can color in the lines. Have fun staying back in kindergarten.

Have fun being someone else's employee..

[Billy Johnso]

Originally Posted by Vette_Newb

Have fun being someone else's employee..

Don't worry I will. I give him 110% every day, and make him a lot of money.

You started to make this personal, with a few comments toward me because of my opinions towards hostess, and you hate unions.

Originally Posted by Vette_Newb

Well Billy, looks like you can gather up your crayons and helmet and head out..

Originally Posted by Vette_Newb

Have fun being someone else's employee..

So I will make this personal. I wonder how your faithful employees would feel about your comment about them?

Originally Posted by Vette_Newb

Yes, I am. Yes, I put in the 60-90 hours a week for 10 years to build this thing (Sorry Barry, I did build this) while the employees were doing their shift and not worrying about keeping it afloat, finding funding, making sure they had a job to come to every week, trying to juggle a family in the meantime, while the employees spent their evenings and weekends bar-b-que'ing, etc.

I would hate to have you as a boss knowing how you would feel about me. I would strike on your ass, and get the rest of the workers to do so, and form a union. This is why unions were created, because boss's like you do not really appreciate the employees.

[Poncherello]

Originally Posted by Billy Johnso

I would hate to have you as a boss knowing how you would feel about me. I would strike on your ass, and get the rest of the workers to do so,

That worked out pretty well for the Hostess union didn't it?

[Vette_Newb]

Originally Posted by Billy Johnso

Don't worry I will. I give him 110% every day, and make him a lot of money.

You started to make this personal, with a few comments toward me because of my opinions towards hostess, and you hate unions.

Actually, it was because of your reatarded-uninformed comments.

Originally Posted by Billy Johnso

So I will make this personal. I wonder how your faithful employees would feel about your comment about them?

Employees come and employees go. They don't give a shit if I survive, no more than you give a shit if your boss survives.

Originally Posted by Billy Johnso

I would hate to have you as a boss knowing how you would feel about me. I would strike on your ass, and get the rest of the workers to do so, and form a union. This is why unions were created, because boss's like you do not really appreciate the employees.

That's because like I said, unions are there to destroy. And I do appreciate your honesty and backing up my point.

Originally Posted by Poncherello

That worked out pretty well for the Hostess union didn't it?

[Billy Johnso]

Originally Posted by Vette_Newb

Employees come and employees go. They don't give a shit if I survive, no more than you give a shit if your boss survives.

Bull shit I have been with the same company for 12 years. I care more about my boss, and the company I work for, obviously more than you care for your employees. Your employees are just a number to you. You must have great morale around your employees. I guess this could go on all day but I have football, to watch, which every player is part of a union.

[Vette_Newb]

Originally Posted by Billy Johnso

Bull shit I have been with the same company for 12 years. I care more about my boss, and the company I work for, obviously more than you care for your employees. Your employees are just a number to you.

Yeah right..

Originally Posted by Billy Johnso

You must have great morale around your employees.

Yep. 70% of my employees have been with me for more than 6 years. And they know who looks out for them..

[raidmagic]

Originally Posted by Billy Johnso

I would hate to have you as a boss knowing how you would feel about me. I would strike on your ass, and get the rest of the workers to do so, and form a union. This is why unions were created, because boss's like you do not really appreciate the employees.

You're an amazing spin doctor, at what point in his comments did he state he didn't like his employees?

[87vette81big]

Unions have or had there place.
I have been in 2 of them.
UAW Aeorospace Union while a GM Master Mechanic.
UAW Caterpillar- Shop Steward.

Hostess- the Baker Union ficked up bad...........
No jobs now.
99 weeks later...........likely homeless & vehicles repoed.
Yeah bama will take care of them........give a golden shower pissing on them all.

Neutral about Unions today.
Good & bad experiences of my own.

I can stand on my own 2 feet & fight alone just fine.
Never known or heard of a Union Head Rep standing up knocking someone out cold.
Not enough backbone perhaps.

BR

[DarthAWM]

Originally Posted by XQIZT

Do you really think anyone defends a Union demanding so much that it drives the employer out of business? Really? It's stupid generalizations like this that cause the crippling gridlock that we see.

See, two days later and nothing like that happened, wait check that it did