Mon May 7, 2012, 05:01 PM

OverDone (137 posts)

Hostess Sends Layoff Notices to All Workers

Source: WSJ

Hostess Brands Inc. on Friday sent out letters notifying its more-than 18,000 workers that they could be laid off in the next two months.

Read more: http://blogs.wsj.com/bankruptcy/2012/05/07/hostess-sends-layoff-notices-to-all-workers/

The articles says its possible, but at any rate that is still pretty amazing to send notices to all 18,000+ employees.
That is a new one I have never heard of before.

As always more Layoff News Below

http://www.dailyjobcuts.com

33 replies, 5086 views

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33 replies	Author	Time	Post
Hostess Sends Layoff Notices to All Workers (Original post)	OverDone	May 2012	OP
Schlitz did that, back in the 80's...when Stroh's back door bought them out.	ScreamingMeemie	May 2012	#1
It's sad	Politicalboi	May 2012	#2
Possibly lay off an entire company... WTF?	sakabatou	May 2012	#3
The Twinkie market is not as strong as it used to be	Lamm	May 2012	#4
I don't think they'll lay off the entire workforce...	brendan120678	May 2012	#5
Someone has to print their W-2s next year	Taverner	May 2012	#9
I wonder if ADP already does that for them? n/t	jtuck004	May 2012	#11
Very Likely	OverDone	May 2012	#12
Management needs a bigger bonus for driving the company in the ground	thelordofhell	May 2012	#6
Happens all the time in Hawai'i	KamaAina	May 2012	#7
Wow	tawadi	May 2012	#17
+1	Fearless	May 2012	#20
Wow is right	OverDone	May 2012	#21
Hostess has be losing money for years now.	musiclawyer	May 2012	#8
Add 'em to the list...	jtuck004	May 2012	#10
Twinkes and Cupcakes, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!	sarcasmo	May 2012	#13
do people still eat twinkies?	Liberal_in_LA	May 2012	#18
I don't, but I'm craving one now.	David__77	May 2012	#24
Supply and Demand	OverDone	May 2012	#25
apparently yes...	IamK	May 2012	#26
I recommend that they re-open as a fast-food spring-roll franchise that	patrice	May 2012	#14
Can you say ...	1StrongBlackMan	May 2012	#15
Just looked into that	OverDone	May 2012	#16
It's all about Union Busting	Sherman A1	May 2012	#22
Sad to see	OverDone	May 2012	#23
They are complying with Federal law	CactusJak	May 2012	#19
Just another way to put all employees in a state of fear.	blackspade	May 2012	#27
Not a very good Technique	OverDone	May 2012	#29
Blame the government then. They are only complying with federal law.	CBGLuthier	May 2012	#30
18K Teamsters are about to become unemployed.... n/t	IamK	May 2012	#28
If I can't have my powdered sugar Donettes,	Seeking Serenity	May 2012	#31
the WARN Act requires	melm00se	May 2012	#32
Will no one think of the Twinkies??!! nt	Javaman	May 2012	#33

Response to OverDone (Original post)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:06 PM

ScreamingMeemie (60,764 posts)

1. Schlitz did that, back in the 80's...when Stroh's back door bought them out.

Reply to this post

Response to OverDone (Original post)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:08 PM

Politicalboi (9,438 posts)

2. It's sad

But at least they have a warning. Some will leave on their own to better jobs, or maybe things will turn around enough so they won't have to lay off so many.

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Response to OverDone (Original post)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:08 PM

sakabatou (29,057 posts)

3. Possibly lay off an entire company... WTF?

Last edited Mon May 7, 2012, 05:08 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

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Response to sakabatou (Reply #3)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:11 PM

Lamm (20 posts)

4. The Twinkie market is not as strong as it used to be

when it was discovered that Twinkies doesn't last forever.

http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/twinkies.asp

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Response to sakabatou (Reply #3)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:14 PM

brendan120678 (2,412 posts)

5. I don't think they'll lay off the entire workforce...

Basically they foresee the need for layoffs in the immediate future, but haven't yet decided how to structure those layoffs yet. Therefore, everyone is "at risk" of being laid off.

Additionally, if wide-range layoffs are likely, companies are usually required to give advanced notice under the WARN Act.

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Response to brendan120678 (Reply #5)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:20 PM

Taverner (53,258 posts)

9. Someone has to print their W-2s next year

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Response to Taverner (Reply #9)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:21 PM

jtuck004 (5,069 posts)

11. I wonder if ADP already does that for them? n/t

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Response to brendan120678 (Reply #5)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:27 PM

OverDone (137 posts)

12. Very Likely

True, I think that is the idea just put the notice out to everyone. But I haven't recalled any company, that i know of that has done that before. Not every worker, every employee. I seen entire departments, sections, stuff like that put on notice, but never everyone.

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Response to OverDone (Original post)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:15 PM

thelordofhell (3,802 posts)

6. Management needs a bigger bonus for driving the company in the ground

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Response to OverDone (Original post)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:17 PM

KamaAina (45,184 posts)

7. Happens all the time in Hawai'i

whenever a hotel changes hands, all the workers are fired and made to reapply for the old jobs.

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Response to KamaAina (Reply #7)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:46 PM

tawadi (1,994 posts)

17. Wow

That's incredible. And sad.

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Response to tawadi (Reply #17)

Mon May 7, 2012, 06:03 PM

Fearless (12,390 posts)

20. +1

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Response to tawadi (Reply #17)

Mon May 7, 2012, 06:33 PM

OverDone (137 posts)

21. Wow is right

Heard of this practice before, but haven't really heard of many companies doing it.

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Response to OverDone (Original post)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:17 PM

musiclawyer (2,051 posts)

8. Hostess has be losing money for years now.

I thought they were in or preparing for bankruptcy. Even people at the lowest rungs of society don't want top eat what they make. It's the 21st century, and they never evolved from their early 20th century recipes.

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Response to OverDone (Original post)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:20 PM

jtuck004 (5,069 posts)

10. Add 'em to the list...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/07/the-biggest-corporate-layoffs-all-time_n_1133842.html

That happens frequently with other companies when they close, but most are small enough that they rarely make it out of local news.

Aren't we bringing back 10,000 service folks pretty soon? Add those in as well. I wonder if they will be left in Afghanistan until next year to keep from influencing the private sector, under the guise of continued "progress"?

France has the right idea - invest in your country and people for growth, like the US used to. The game we are playing now is just shaping the current as we circle the drain.

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Response to OverDone (Original post)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:29 PM

sarcasmo (13,550 posts)

13. Twinkes and Cupcakes, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

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Response to sarcasmo (Reply #13)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:46 PM

Liberal_in_LA (28,609 posts)

18. do people still eat twinkies?

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Response to Liberal_in_LA (Reply #18)

Mon May 7, 2012, 09:19 PM

David__77 (14,105 posts)

24. I don't, but I'm craving one now.

The other night I was recalling my former love of cupcakes, Suzie Q's, and other confections. As an adult, I don't eat them, but they do sound good. They'd probably make me feel terrible though.

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Response to David__77 (Reply #24)

Mon May 7, 2012, 09:45 PM

OverDone (137 posts)

25. Supply and Demand

Never cared, but all this talk about no more twinkes/snacks and now we want one. ahhah
Must be a new way of advertising.

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Response to Liberal_in_LA (Reply #18)

Mon May 7, 2012, 11:08 PM

IamK (956 posts)

26. apparently yes...

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Response to OverDone (Original post)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:33 PM

patrice (47,255 posts)

14. I recommend that they re-open as a fast-food spring-roll franchise that

Last edited Mon May 7, 2012, 05:46 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

offers a variety of dipping sauces and veggie-slaw sides and tea.

That'd be both fried and not-fried spring-rolls, including vegan.

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Response to OverDone (Original post)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:35 PM

1StrongBlackMan (5,350 posts)

15. Can you say ...

Union busting tactic?

Hostess’s future remains uncertain, largely dependent upon the outcome of negotiations with its two big unions over the fate of their labor agreements as well as upon its search for new capital. Investors are to submit second-round bids for the business this week, Hostess attorney Corinne Ball told the bankruptcy court last month.

Another question mark comes in the form of a threat by the Teamsters, Hostess’s biggest union, to strike if the company wins court approval to reject their labor contracts. The Teamsters members drive the trucks that deliver the company’s baked goods to store shelves. The union and Hostess’s chief executive agree that a Teamsters strike would shut down the company.

"Union members ... Come out with your contracts up, or the company here is dead."

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Response to 1StrongBlackMan (Reply #15)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:41 PM

OverDone (137 posts)

16. Just looked into that

It seems that may be the case. Possible using bankruptcy to break the pension / unions and whatever agreement. If no agreements can be made, then ok we go to chapter 7 and everyone loses.

No matter what, keep an eye on the layoffs because some are coming one way or another.

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Response to OverDone (Reply #16)

Mon May 7, 2012, 07:28 PM

Sherman A1 (11,530 posts)

22. It's all about Union Busting

Hostess/IBC or whatever their name is this week, has been in and out of bankruptcy (name changed to re-enter bankruptcy) over the last 5+ years in order to screw their workers. Somehow the top folks continue to get theirs however.

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Response to Sherman A1 (Reply #22)

Mon May 7, 2012, 07:38 PM

OverDone (137 posts)

23. Sad to see

In the end, no one will be winning. Pensions, Unions, Retirees, workers.... List goes on and on.

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Response to OverDone (Original post)

Mon May 7, 2012, 05:56 PM

CactusJak (20 posts)

19. They are complying with Federal law

FTA:

The federal WARN Act requires companies to give employees 60 days notice before closing a facility or ordering mass layoffs. However, sending the notices doesn’t mean a company is definitely going to lay off the recipients.

“The conditional WARN notices were sent to alert employees that a sale or wind down of the company is possible in the future. There are no immediate actions being taken,” spokeswoman Anita-Marie Laurie said Monday in an emailed statement. “Our goal is to emerge from bankruptcy as a growing company with a strong future—one that continues to provide good jobs with competitive wages and benefits.”

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Response to OverDone (Original post)

Tue May 8, 2012, 03:25 AM

blackspade (2,434 posts)

27. Just another way to put all employees in a state of fear.

I predict that this will become the new norm.
This is a shitty way to boost short term productivity.

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Response to blackspade (Reply #27)

Tue May 8, 2012, 08:26 AM

OverDone (137 posts)

29. Not a very good Technique

Last edited Tue May 8, 2012, 08:30 AM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

Now instead of just one area being upset, everyone can be equally upset.
Definitely not good for long term moral after all this is over

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Response to blackspade (Reply #27)

Tue May 8, 2012, 08:29 AM

CBGLuthier (8,851 posts)

30. Blame the government then. They are only complying with federal law.

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Response to OverDone (Original post)

Tue May 8, 2012, 06:41 AM

IamK (956 posts)

28. 18K Teamsters are about to become unemployed.... n/t

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Response to OverDone (Original post)

Tue May 8, 2012, 09:08 AM

Seeking Serenity (1,856 posts)

31. If I can't have my powdered sugar Donettes,

I'm gonna be one unhappy Southern belle. And, I'm just telling you here ad now, the Dolly Madison or Blue Bunny versions ARE NOT THE SAME! Take it from one who knows. They taste like twice-baked carrion compared to the Hostess brand.

It's sad, but I agree with the above poster, this was likely a just-in-case move to comply with the WARN Act.

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Response to OverDone (Original post)

Tue May 8, 2012, 09:29 AM

melm00se (2,426 posts)

32. the WARN Act requires

that companies provide at least 60 day notice for plant closures/mass layoffs.

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Response to OverDone (Original post)

Tue May 8, 2012, 10:14 AM

Javaman (40,599 posts)

33. Will no one think of the Twinkies??!! nt

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