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hostess cupcakes treats twinkies ap photo
(AP Photo)

Seattle hostess factory shuts down after worker strike

BY Jillian Raftery  on November 13, 2012 @ 2:35 pm (Updated: 4:08 pm - 11/13/12 )

Dori and producer Jake Skorheim talk often on The Dori Monson Show about how much they love Hostess Twinkies and Ding Dongs, so they were disappointed when the Seattle Hostess factory closed down after a union strike.

After several months of contract talks, the Hostess workers went on strike to try to counter a pay cut. They also say that the company stopped contributing to worker pensions last year.

"An eight percent wage cut is horrible for anyone in this economy, but especially for these members who have taken wage freezes in the past for years," said International Union of Operating Engineers Local 286 spokesman Christian Dube in an interview with KING 5 News.

Hostess, based in Irving, Texas, operates 36 bakeries nationwide and has about 18,300 employees. It warned earlier this month that the strike, by about 30 percent of its workforce, could lead to bakery closures.

"A widespread strike will cause Hostess Brands to liquidate if we are unable to produce or deliver products," said Hostess Brands in a statement on their website. "If that's the case, the company will move promptly to lay off most of its 18,300-member workforce and focus on selling its assets to the highest bidders."

Hostess Brands also acknowledged in their press release that they were asking a lot of their employees. The company reported that most of their union and non-union employees nation-wide had approved the new deal - and the pay cut.

"We urge our employees to remain on the job to rebuild the company," said Hostess. "Sixty-four percent of our workforce is composed of non-union employees and employees represented by unions that ratified our proposals for modified collective bargaining agreements. We believe they have earned the right to rebuild Hostess. We know the concessions are tough, but it would make more sense for unhappy employees to simply leave the company voluntarily than to strike and cause the company to close down, forcing everyone to lose their jobs."

Given the major financial problems that Hostess Brands has had for several years, Dori thinks that the strike came at a bad time. The company filed for bankruptcy for the second time just a few months ago, in January of this year.

"Do people not understand what this economy is like right now?" said Dori.

Dori respects that there is a place for unions, but he thinks that union officials may have acted without considering the consequences of their actions.

"You just caused 110 people to go out of work because they wouldn't take an eight percent pay cut," said Dori. "You know what, a 100 percent pay cut is a whole lot worse. And I feel bad for these workers. I don't know if all of them agreed to the strike, but what I know is all 110 of them in Seattle and 627 nationwide in these three factories are now out of a job."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Jillian Raftery, Social Media Captain
Jillian Raftery is a social media captain for the Dori Monson Show. She loves the neighborly vibe of the Pacific Northwest and spends as much time as possible outdoors.
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Comments (13)


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  • FormerMarineSgt wrote...
    As usual - 'it's ALL the union's fault'...
    November 13, 2012 4:01 pm
    ""You just caused 110 people to go out of work because they wouldn't take an eight percent pay cut," said Dori. "You know what, a 100 percent pay cut is a whole lot worse. And I feel bad for these workers. I don't know if all of them agreed to the strike, but what I know is all 110 of them in Seattle and 627 nationwide in these three factories are now out of a job." " --- Gee Dori, it takes two to tango, and you seem to clearly be predestined to automatically come down against any union involved in anything, even when you have little in the way of a complete list of facts, and are making your decision on at best a partial list of facts... Great job.
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  • donjr wrote...
    Hi Jillian!
    November 13, 2012 4:09 pm
    A small correction, you wrote, "Dori respects that there is a place for unions". That is not correct. Dori does not believe in unions under any circumstances.
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  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    Oh no! Where else am I going to get overpriced crap wrapped in tin foil?
    November 13, 2012 5:03 pm
    Dori is an uninformed eediot. This is the second round of concessions forced on these workers. They willingly accepted the first round to help the company out of bankruptcy the first time. The company squandered the money and handed out tons of corporate bonuses and had to file a second time. If I worked there I would be mad too. Then the company forced the second round of cuts.
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  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    This is from their last bankruptcy:
    November 13, 2012 5:02 pm
    Hostess Brands Inc. asked a bankruptcy court to approve a pay package for Chief Executive Brian Driscoll, who joined the Twinkie and Wonder Bread maker in 2010. Hostess has asked unionized workers to make big concessions on pensions and other labor provisions or face liquidation. The pay package includes a $1.5 million annual salary, unspecified annual incentive bonuses and as much as $2 million in additional bonuses for achieving certain performance goals outlined by Hostess's board over three years. Mr. Driscoll is also eligible for nearly $2 million if he departs Hostess under certain conditions and abides by a noncompete agreement. Frank Hurt, president of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union, said it was "unfair" for Hostess to craft "such a lucrative contract while demanding deep, deep givebacks from its employees."
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  • jstumbo wrote...
    Yeah, they should have given that money to the employees...
    November 16, 2012 10:49 pm
    They would have been able to make another $15 each per month. That surely would have saved the company.
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  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    Dori and other right wing a holes bash unions and the working man
    November 13, 2012 5:07 pm
    for not wanting an 8 percent cut on already minimal wages, but are perfectly fine with jerks at the top getting theirs. Hypocrites. Hostess management joins a long list of millionaires and billionaires who have decided to spend their life biatching and moaning about how under appreciated they are and how much it will hurt them if they can't make their millions, and as for the working class, they can go suck and egg. Thanks Dori. I didn't think you could get more disgusting, but once again you have sunk to a new level of idiotic wonder.
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  • circuitfr wrote...
    gaymarried...
    November 14, 2012 1:23 pm
    I'm glad they go fired. If you don't like the PRIVATE company you work for, find work elsewhere. If Hostess is a scumbag employer and doesn't treat its employees well, fine work elsewhere. That is or what used to be the great thing about America. You had some freedoms. I believe private companies who treat their employees well perform better, but that's just my opinion. If a company just wants profits and can make it work, let them. I would never choose to work for them. But I'll be darned why ANY private company doesn't have a right to cut employees wages/staff if that's what they need to do. This isn't Russia people. I'm tired of people complaining that are in Unions. Work hard, and if your profession doesn't pay worth a crap and money is what motivates you in life, find ANOTHER JOB. I'm sick and tired of whiny brats who think the evil millionaires are scum. Has anyone looked at our government? 16 trillion in debt and growing and NOONE cares....but...OH LOOK AT THAT PERSON WHO CREATES JOBS.. EVIL EVIL EVIL ....take more money from him so we can increase our national debt even more. Man, we are a stupid country.
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  • irony wrote...
    after the 2008 election
    November 15, 2012 3:43 pm
    i had to take a 15% pay cut, so union workers quit your whining.
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  • irony wrote...
    it would be phenominal if they were minimum wage and union
    November 15, 2012 3:44 pm
    it's probably more like $18/hour plus excessive benefits.
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  • gaymarriedchristianfromhollywood wrote...
    We obviously see the world very differently.
    November 15, 2012 3:54 pm
    I don't know what makes someone like you think that the poor and working class can work the system but the rich and powerful cannot. Trump and the jokers at Hostess and a bunch of other "so called" job creators file for bankruptcy, stiff their debtors, steal from their worker's pension, cut wages and at the same time pay millions in wages & bonuses to the well to do. That in a nutshell is evil. But as long as there people like you to defend them the working class has no chance. The relative decline of unions over the past 35 years has mirrored a decline in the middle class’s share of national income. It is also true that at the time when most Americans belonged to a union — a period of time between the 1940′s and 1950′s — income inequality in the U.S. was at its lowest point in the history of the country. Why do you think it's okay to defend them like you do. Like that guy who owns the biggest house (literally) in the United States and threatened his workers he would fire them if Obama won. On what planet do you live that the ones that need to be defended are the rich and the powerful? You are either wealthy or you listen to too much Glenn Beck. The rich are doing fine, corporations are doing fine, people like Romney and Trump are doing fine. It's those workers that need a little compassion and you are on the wrong side of the fence. When you wanna know who is ruining America look in the mirror. You talk about the working poor with disdain and you blame them for their situation, for having to work at places like Hostess, for not doing enough for themselves and you pat the back of the cheaters at the top. Hooey for you. Good luck at the gates of heaven.
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  • Bob in Auburn wrote...
    A classic abusive relationship
    November 17, 2012 1:23 am
    One side (management) messes up, and shifts blame and fault to other side (workers). Management blames the workers for all of their shortcomings even if the workers had nothing to do with it. Management demands that the workers fix the problem management caused. Management tells the workers that if they don't do what they demand they will regret it. When the workers refuse, Management in one final drive to show that they are in control commit murder / suicide. (murder the jobs, suicide the company) Classic situation as old as time itself. (BTW since corporations are people, can we charge the management with murder by neglect?)
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  • Bob in Auburn wrote...
    I need to clarify my statement
    November 18, 2012 10:32 am
    it appears that one of the more whacked out supporters of dori's opinions decided to track down my ID and be a little more personal in their dislike of my comment. So, here is my clarification of my view. BTW: I suggest two things to my "friend" find professional help, or get a life. It is still a Classic case of abuse. One side (management) messes up, and shifts blame and fault to other side (workers). Management blames the workers for all of their shortcomings financial / managorial / ethical/ even if the workers had nothing to do with it. Management blames the workers becuse they "forced" them to do what they did. Management demands that the workers fix the problems management caused. because it is all their fault. They had nothing to do with it. (BTW the unions did give away a lot to save their jobs, the first time it happened. Management just took larger bonuses to help things out.) Management tells the workers that if they don't do what they demand they will regret it. They say will make the workers lives and those around them miserable. When the workers refuse, Management in one final drive to show that they are in control commit murder / suicide. (murder the jobs, suicide the company) This part is for my new "friend":..... Then, Management supporters ignore the history, go public and say that management had no choice but to do what they did because the workers had it coming and deserved what they got. It's not managements fault at all. (Kinda sounds like the recent story of a tacoma dads family and his two sons.) (BTW since corporations are people, can we charge the management with murder by neglect?)
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  • Bob in Auburn wrote...
    one quick question to MNW.com
    November 18, 2012 10:39 am
    How did this whack job manage to find me?
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