When news broke last week that Hostess Brands was on the brink of going out of business, reminders quickly emerged of the place the company’s snack cakes hold in American culture: reports that Twinkies were flying off the shelves in grocery stores, wistful paeans to Ding Dongs on Twitter. It’s no surprise; Hostess makes a number of products that are deeply associated with childhood, from the eternally faux-fresh Twinkies to cream-filled cupcakes, Ho Hos, and Wonder Bread. (The company also owns Drake’s, which makes Ring Dings, Yodels, and Devil Dogs.)
On Monday, a bankruptcy judge ordered Hostess into mediation with its striking bakery workers’ union, improving chances that the company will survive. Hopefully the two sides will reach a deal; hundreds of jobs in Massachusetts hang in the balance.
Comments
An editorial about the survival of the Twinkie. Not a word about the union greed that is about to kill a company, and put 18,000 people out of work just at the start of Christmas season. One can only wonder how the editorial board comes up with its ideas. For most people, the survival of a popular brand is obvious. But what lacks understanding, is the means by which Hostess came to this point, and the role played by it unions.
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