Without trying to take sides, it "would" be interesting to have an idea of "what" the hourly rates are these days.. In the mid 1980's I worked for a company that provided equipment to "ITT Continental Bakeries" aka Hostess, and the junior line workers made in the high teens per hour,(plus benefits pkgs) just for showing up..30 years have passed and I can only imagine what those wages are now..Does any of the Hostess employees dare to fess up to the "True" present day, hourly rate????

If what I read in another article is true it is no wonder Hostess has to close. A worker was quoted as saying that an 8% pay cut would cut his income by $200 per week. Well $200 is 8% of $2500, and the worker was only a truck driver.

Baron - 12:19 AM - unions only exist because of poor management? MAYBE a hundred years ago, BUT NOT TODAY. Unions exist so that even the laziest box-of-rocks is paid the same as those that really want to work. A union member has zero incentive to perform or to OUT perform the other drones. If they do, they are in trouble with the union. If they don't they do not advance. An employee should be paid thier worth, if they help the company thrive, they get rewarded, if they clock in at 8AM and head to the bathroom and sleep til 2PM, they should be fired. That is how I run my business. I pay what they are worth to me. Only a brain dead fool volunterarly joins a social system where there is no chance for a pay increase without all the other drones getting the same. IF THE MANAGEMENT IS BAD, then let the business fail. NO BUSINESS is too big to fail.

I'm not sure about the current unemployment benefit requirements, but there was a time when you couldn't qualify "if you failed to accept/or left a job, by your own choice"..Walking out to go on strike, sounds like a "choice to refuse to work/and leaving the job" These folks may be in for a rude awakening in the coming weeks..I think they might have been better off giving thanks for what they "did have" and allow themselves to remember that there is a whole world full of people that are worse off than they are..."HAPPY THANKSGIVING" Respectfully, the Gunney

The sad part is that the upper management, who got their raises and enjoyed their air conditioned offices, dusted off their contracts and will get to enforce their golden parachute clauses, in the mean time the workers who already accepted pay cuts prior to this, and who toiled and sweat year round in front of those bread ovens will get unemployment... The closure just does not seem fair. Shades of "Ba Humbug" going around.

Unions only exist because of poor management. Applicable in this situation. For all of you talking poorly of these folks, what charmed lives you must lead. God forbbid you never have your enployr turn it's face on you because given a chance they would.

The "union" is supposed to protect the "hourly" paid workers. They are still fools to not compromise. I would take a pay cut versus no job. The corporate fools that let this American company die are bigger idiots, but they walk away into retirement with millions in their pocket. It's the middle-class that has lost again.

No Chenoosesmom, you do not get paid while on strike. The salary corporate folks were continuing to be paid.

This is very sad for America. There aren't enough jobs already, and now even less. I boycott their brands if they are not made in America.

Did I read this right? The bakery company was paying all these folks salary while they are on strike. That is so silly. These folks aren't working -- because the Union won't let them and yet the employers are paying their salary. Surely I'm not reading this right. Anyway, all you 18,000 folks without a job, who are you blaming? Why, the bakery of course. I don't. I put the blame where it belongs - on selfish, greedy union folk.