I heard that one of the 2 unions did accept the deal, but that the bakers union turned it down.
Once again, a union destroys the workers they are supposed to protect. They said alot of workers crossed the picket lines, but not enough to keep the factories going.
I heard the workers were offered a 8% pay decrease, and lowering of some benefits.
Originally Posted by: Cheesey
With guaranteed raises to said pay, I don't remember the exact figures but it was something like the 8% decrease for a year followed by a 1% increase the following 2 years then a one-time 3% increase. And 2 union members on the board and opportunities to give employees increased ownership in the company.
I'm not saying it doesn't really, really suck to have your pay decreased like that (especially since this wasn't the first round of decreases) and that Hostess wasn't mismanaged, but you have three options here.
1. Live with $25k/year+. Not great but livable unless you have multiple kids or are the sole breadwinner with a kid.
2. Recognize that things are going downhill, start looking for better employment. Put in your two weeks when you find it, leave on good terms.
3. Go on strike, risk losing your job with no benefits (in some states). Worry about finding a job after you're fired.
Sure, the jobs were probably dead eventually anyways, but layoffs probably would have come in multiple waves giving people time to find other jobs, with preservation of money paid for unused vacation and a good reference rather than having left on bad terms.
I've worked in a factory, specifically one that baked bread, sliced it, sliced some of it further into croutons, bagged, and shipped. Back in 2006, that got me $13/hour starting, non-union. Granted, it was only for a month but I can sympathize with those that are working in the factories-factories. Dockworkers and truckers have it easy by comparison (and tend to make more money). That being said, the grunt factory work in said industry is VERY low-skill. For an entry level position requiring not even a high school diploma, that is damnned good pay. Still sucks if you're loading 40 pound bags of croutons onto pallets all day, sweeping up breadcrumbs and dust in a hot factory, but still good pay.
I got said job after about a year of unemployment, and while it sucked I appreciated what was the best income of my life up to that point and the fact that I HAD a job. I was only there a month (ended up moving closer to my now-wife for an office job with a $4/hour pay decrease), but it gave me an appreciation for hard work and busting your ass to make ends meet. I DO have sympathy for these workers getting their pay slashed, but in the end, many of them made a poor decision given the available options. And now they're paying the consequences.