Is anyone heading to an outlet store or their nearest Kroger to stock up?

If they're so popular and all that, how does a company that is sold everywhere go bankrupt and cannot go on!? I wish I had the money to take it over and make Hostess and products stick around!

You could stock up and have a black market twinkie business, you could be a dind-dong twinkie dealer. Imagine the price gouge you could put on some Suzy Q's? Big Rollers dealin the Twink man, psssst hey I got some pink Sno-Balls man, ya need some?

As Of 2300 last night, a Twinkie was going for 60.00 for one and 900.00 for a box of 10 on Ebay. there is a feeling that a twinkie will last forever, not true, thjey have a shelf life of about 1 month.

I noticed that the poll doesn't allow "none" as a choice. I actually don't care if I ever see another Twinkie or loaf of Wonder Bread. It's been decades since I've eaten that kind of junk. I wouldn't miss Hostess. But I do feel for the employees who are out of their jobs right before Christmas. What a mess. Some other company will buy the brand, but it will take a long time to sort itself out.

All is not doom and gloom. Chrysler has hired 1200 employees in the Detroit area, so perhaps the delivery jobs, the local bakeries, etc lost will balance out for MI. 18,500 is a lot of jobs to say goodbye , just before Christmas. The baker's union decided it did not want to play ball, so all the workers lost out as a result.
In the end, according to the WSJ, a bankruptcy judge gave Hostess permission to force the bakers union to accept a new five-year labor contract that featured an 8% wage cut in the first year, new pension plan restrictions and a 17% increase in health care costs for employees These are not police or firemen. These are bakers, being asked to share expenses, and note that most of the private sector already pays 17% of their healthcare, if not more. In fact, our Dearborn teachers even agreed to pay their fair share in the last contract, so why are the bakers being so stubborn? It is a free will decision, the bakers have the freedom of will to strike, the owners have the right to close and sell off the brands.
Look at it another way, do we really need , as Americans, to fatten up on Hostess foods?
Fortunately, Obamacare is right around the corner, and will cover all those workers with free healthcare. Well, not exactly free, the 50% who still pay taxes in this country will pay for it. The shelf space will be filled by other brands. Another icon bites the dust under Obama's watch. No , wait! It is Bush's fault!!!!

I have always wanted to try a fried Twinkie. May never have the chance now.

So glad they are going under...With the obesity epidemic we have in this country...1 less contributor...However, I do hope to see another company takeover and provide employment for these people...

Perhaps the govt should get involved, like Solyndra, give a bailout, and work out a deal with the baker's union to help run the company, provide healthcare, and pass new legislation making in mandatory that every child should experience a 'Twinkie' as part of the school lunch program. That would take care of all the expenses, and provide an outlet where the govt could subsidize each twinkie for what , a mere $4 to cover all the costs. Our troops could have twinkies packed next to the spam in their K rations, a dessert that will last forever....just in case someone actually thinks that this is logical, It only works with GM, not bakeries....

I feel sad for all the cops out there:/

Maybe the box they come in ???? All those products are lousy. A mouthful of chemicals in each bite.

Hostess executives gave themselves lavish raises. The CEO 300% while at least nine other top executives were to see their pay increase between 35%-80%. And after coming out of bankruptcy with 110 million in concessions the closing of 21 plants and a reduction of about 17000 workers, Hostess again approached its unionized workers to accept another round of concessions, this time much, much worse than during the first bankruptcy benefit cuts totaling between 27-32%.

So, while you watch newscasters make amusing stories out of desperate people racing to the store for their last package of Hostess Twinkies or Cupcakes ask yourself why they fail to cover the other side of the story. With the collapse of the American Icon Hostess, over 18,500 working Teamsters and Bakers have lost their jobs just in time for Thanksgiving. Thanks investment bankers, vulture capitalists.

Hostess is a microcosm of whats happening at large. A certain class of people are extracting the equity from our society and flushing the rest of us down the drain.

We choose what we eat and how we exercise...not companies. As far as chemicals and genetically engineered food that would be the fault of the Government..FDA & USDA!!! You can't even trust some organic foods thanks to them!! Just think, now our great (NOT) Government is in the Health Care business??? Almost everyone I know has had to take a pay cut of some sort! My heavens, even our OUTSTANDING Saline School Teachers took cuts! This is an injustice by the Union..shame on them and the employees for not taking concessions. But they do have Obama to take care of them. Oh yes, I will miss the hostess cup cakes and the cherry pies = • {

Unions and work rules killed Hostess.
Hostess was party to 372 separate collective bargaining agreements (CBAs"). The CBAs collectively mandated maintenance of 80 different health and welfare benefit plans, The unions have work rules that hamstring operations. For example, Hostess often provided both bread and cake products to an individual customer location. The existing work rules require that, on many routes, separate trucks must deliver the bread and cake products to that single customer location. The work rules also require that, in some bakeries and distribution centers, a separate individual must be used to load the trucks (competitors have drivers who load their own trucks) and separate people must load either bread or cake onto a truck. Finally, work rules require that, in some instances even when a route representative is already visiting a customer location, that representative may not move product within that location; rather, a separate employee must visit the customer location to move product from the back room to the shelf. Often, this so-called "pull-up" employee cannot move both bread and cake and, thus, two "pull-up" employees must make this same trip. This multiplies the number of individuals necessary to deliver product to customers and doubles the fuel and truck costs. Finally, the work rules prevent Hostess from implementing alternative distribution systems into new, currently unserved markets. Again, outmoded union rules killed Hostess.

FHVoice...Just as poor management AND unions worked hand in hand to create this mess at Hostess, the same can be said of the GM mess. The government should have stayed out of that one, just like they stayed out of the Hostess mess. But now we all own more than half of the poor managed GM, with its union issues (until history repeats itself) and can't even console ourselves with a a twinkie. and Darren W., 5,000 union workers can thank themselves for costing 13,500 other people thier jobs. Wether the jobs were "good' or "bad", those 13,500 weren't planning on walking away that day.

Darren, At Hostess, management did not create the union work rules by themselves, the unions shackled themselves with the draconian methods that forced Hostess out of being competitive. It would be like having Hostess required to use only a fax machine, while everyone else uses emails. We all know the silly rules at Cobo hall, ie the Auto Show, where only union electrical folk are allowed to put a plug in the wall, only union folk are allowed to move a table. The same lack of not using common sense between management & unions, put Hostess under. Their competition did not have the same restrictions, and will take over the brands. Odds are, many of the Hostess workers will get hired, but with new work rules, ones that make common sense for a change.

Regarding where I work, that is no secret, I am self employed, and have often gone without a paycheck in order to make payroll for my employees, OSHA covers the safety of my plant, and are my workers happy? Since most have been with me over 17 years, and I have taught every employee how to run their presses and/or job, I would say your comments apply more to yourself than me. We all work on a
'free will' basis, you are free to leave a job any time, for any reason, and I, as an employer, am free to ask you to seek employment elsewhere for any reason. Drop by the plant Darren, and I will give you a tour, you can judge for yourself. Unlike others, to your credit , at least you use your full name on this blog.

Jon, In order to survive, a company like Hostess must be competitive. Old inefficient ways and practices must be replaced with modern methods. Of course the unions liked the old ways, the money was good. But without a profit, the incentive to stay in business is gone, and that was Hostess's demise. The could not compete with the shackles placed on their shoulders, not all union, but enough to sink the company. Of course, a product going out of favor didn't help much either. I agree, Hiring gents at big bucks to save the company rarely works, and looks bad to boot. But sometimes, a turnaround expert can get the job done. They don't work cheap and they don't work free. However, do you just give up? With Hostess, working with what, 80 unions, they didn't have a chance. Even the union didn't want partial ownership. Of course, all those Hostess workers did the right thing, saved their pay, and invested wisely, and didn't depend heavily on those loathsome owners to provide for them, right? Last time I checked, pensions were a benefit. Most have been replaced by 401K plans anyway. Bottom line, in a free will society, the union is free to strike, and the company owners are free to close the doors.
You are free to refuse to pay an Obamacare tax, and take the matter to court, or pay the tax/penalty and be covered. Companies are free to send folk to the Obamacare exchanges, and they have the freedom to make a choice. You are free to gripe, go for it.

Lee Jacobsen: the union didn't unilaterally impose these work rules. Whatever was in the contract was negotiated and agreed to by mgt. If this mgt is so great and worthy of a tripling of their compensation, why didn't they negotiate better? Interesting how mgt getting all they can is something to be admired, but viewed differently when rank & file does it.

One last thought: where does ethical behavior come into play. Just because mgt can award itself more money (after winning concessions from the unions), should they?

Thank you Mr. Rice! To those who are content on being critical of unions, President Obama etc. I would like to ask you to learn FACTS before posting such bogus comments. These unions have not negotiated in a vacuum. Management agreed to the current situation at some point (whether sustainable or not). Such dire straits call for such desparate measures? Then why would management take such lofty bonuses for themselves? Shared sacrifice? Where is it??

Now for those of you who insist on bashing "Obamacare", I take it that you didn't vote for President Obama? Assuming that is the case, it is fair to assume that you probably believe the fairytales of him being born in Kenya and that he's a "Muslim"?? If this is the case, it stands to reason that you truly believe that "Obamacare" is going to cost taxpayers more than what we currently are paying?? Got news for you....you have been paying for the uninsured for your ENTIRE LIFE!!! Try getting into an accident with a uninsured motorist and ask your agent "Who's going to pay for this???" Try spending some time at your local hospital (as I have) and see all the UNINSURED patients that clog our medical facilities DAILY! Then ask yourself..."Who's paying for this???" The answer is WE ALL ARE (taxpayers only)!!! Stop with the Hate already, please!!!

Read Frustrated Old Man's post above....he explains it all!!!

Lee's analysis of the Hostess situation is just plain wrong. Hostess has been going broke for a long, long time under poor management, and now the vultures are setting it up for the final kill.

Hostess declared bankruptcy in 2004 with $450 million in debt. A a private equity firm took over. Instead of paying off the debt, the firm borrowed a lot and charged the loan as well as management fees to Hostess, so Hostess went from being $450M in debt to $1B. They laid off 20% of the workers and STOPPED PAYING into the pension fund as well. Regardless of all the executive compensation shooting through the roof, Hostess returned to threatening employees and begging for bankruptcy.

So, 18,000 workers just found out that they are going to get fired just before the holidays. This is the second time in three years Hostess has asked its employees to cut their salaries and sacrifice benefits to keep the company going. After getting huge concessions 3 years ago, Hostess is now requiring ANOTHER 8% pay CUT and a 17% CUT in benefits.

The situation is insane. In the bankruptcy hearing today Hostess attorneys said they want to fire 18,000 employees at the same time they want to pay out $1.75 million in incentives to 19 senior managers. The equity firm has gotten its profits out and plan to walk away owing nothing, dumping the pension debt on the American taxpayers.

For more see http://goo.gl/nnwUb

As for Lee's posts, don't believe the type.

A pension is part of a compensation package, just as is health care insurance. Owners offer them as ways to attract and keep skilled workers. Employees should not be vilified for expecting the offered pension and/or healthcare to be there when they need it.

Of course, owners can change the rules, but reducing the package and the pay of employees says a lot about the commitment of the owner to the employees.

I wonder if Lee's employees have been told to expect to have their benefits discontinued and their hours cut as part of Lee's expression of resentment to President Obama's re-election victory and passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

I also wonder how Lee's new statement of loyalty will impact quality, production, and retention of machining experience.

FHvoice, you are right, owners can change the rules regarding benefits, and those rule changes they make are a direct result of the new rules of Obamacare. My employees look forward to the changes, and picking their own health care coverage from the exchanges. No pay is being reduced. If they pick the Obama plan, odds are it will cost them more. They know that. My employees know taxes are increasing, and Obama wants more $$ out of their pockets. I plan to 'help out' with healthcare, but my healthcare now was much less cost that what Obama suggests for the future, and my folk liked the old B/C. I plan to contribute the same on healthcare, and if my folk want more, they are willing to pay for it. As heathcare premiums go up, (30% in 2013) due to Obamacare, employees will need to take up the slack. They know that. I post the increases from B/C. After all, they are buying a product, using it, and need to pay for it. Obamacare is the one discontinuing or replacing my employee's healthcare policy, not me. If I don't choose the expensive Obamacare plan as a model, then I simply pay a penalty and let the employees pick and pay for themselves. What is wrong with that? Obama will be the reason they are paying more for healthcare, and you simply resent the fact that I am pointing out the obvious role Obama has in increasing those healthcare costs to my employees. Many shops have no insurance at all, the money is just not there. What will they do?

Thomas, I have seen the negotiation process and the suggestion that the bosses have agreed to certain union demands out of fear is erroneous. In the best of times the unions have taken concessions ie. health care, pension reductions, pay cuts etc. only to see management take huge pay raises all in the name of "making the company profitable". This abuse has a name. It's called American greed. Unions are not the problem.

Stealth, are you saying unions are not greedy, just like management?

Of course they are, just as greedy as management. When management gets greedy, workers get unhappy and go on strike. When unions get too greedy, businesses simply call it 'quits'. In the good ole USA, we have the freedom of choice to make our own decisions. Hostess made some poor decisions on both sides, and , like TWA, Solyndra, and other comanies, they are closing the doors.
Others will buy the brands. Many jobs will be saved. Life goes on.

Interesting about all the angst regarding a 8% cut in pay for the unions at Hostess, yet not a peep when , under Obamacare, Docs will be taking a 27% pay cut with Medicare patients.
http://www.heritage.org/research/commentary/2012/08/obamacare-undermines-physicians-quality-of-care
Oh, I forgot. All doctors are rich, so they can afford it ....right?

Lee, there's greed to be had on both sides however, there are unions and businesses who truly get along quite well and both are profitable and fair. It is spoken of the 8 percent cut as if that is the only cut these workers had been asked/forced to take. When was the last time these workers had a raise? Try making $40k/yr and take a 8 percent cut +pay more for everything. Much easier to absorb this cut the more money you make.

If the wealthy paid their fair percentage of taxes in this country we wouldn't have these problems. Warren Buffet speaks the truth on this matter. What is astounding is that middle class Americans buy into the greed against them. Cut taxes for wealthy and tax the working man and retirees. SMH

how did a discussion on Hostess bankruptcy veer off into a rant on Medicare reimbursement rates for physicians?

Back to Hostess...if mgt had understood the benefits of a collaborative, rather than adversial relationship with the union, they'd be in a much improved business position today. Instead, they chose the path of running the company into the ground, and stuffing their pockets with cash in the process. Once again i ask, what are the moral and ethical responsibilities of this mgt team?

how did a question about which Hostess product was/is your favorite veer off into a rant about evil bosses and greedy unions, either?

Laura, good point! Back to the subject of food...... Twinkies used to be a favorite in the lunch box, but somewhere along the way, I suspect the product changed. Sort of like messing with the original Coke formula, now we have Coke zero, diet coke, new coke, classic coke, etc.
Twinkies used to taste alright. Now, what taste? Chemicals.....