Twinkies

[Kansas]

I could have put this in the food section, but feel it would be an insult to the food section. Not sure they technically qualify as food anyway. But Twinkies are back. Twinkie lovers claim that the new ones are smaller than the old ones. What do you want to bet that they didn't lower the price?

[wildbill]

4 grams less per twinkie (about 10% smaller) and the price stays at $3.99 per box of 10

from what i read

[Chris Burchfield]

They downsized them.  Made them smaller 135 calories instead of 155.  I ate two last night.

[chevytaHOE5674]

Like everything now a days smaller quantity same price.

[Chuck White]

Like everything now a days smaller quantity same price.

True, just look as so many items on the shelves, what used to be 16 ounces is now 12 and the price is the same.  :

[SPIKER]

Glad they brought them back (not bought any in years and years) but sure makes ya wonder what the old "Twinkies" Union was thinking back when they said no to the company.   They did not put the contract to a vote to the union members.   Just flat rejected it, the new owners are non-union now.   They (new owners) are paying (forget the exact numbers) but only paying like $11/hr average.   The old union members made close to $17hr on ave from memory.   There was a story line on Yahoo Finance last week highlighting the Twinkies Return.   Back when FORD paid his workers enough to buy the product it was almost unheard of.   Now that is the plan of the new company "Pay the workers enough to buy the product."    :

Mark

[Kansas]

17.00 isn't exactly setting the world on fire. At 11.00, many if not most workers will be getting taxpayer funded food stamps. Oh well. Those that like Twinkies have them back. A bit smaller at the same price, but they are back. And people have jobs.

An interesting factoid. They used to use bananas  for the filling, or at least they were in there. When WW2 hit, the government rationed bananas. So they switched to the creme filling. I am still trying to figure out why they rationed those. Its not like they could put them on a ship and haul them to the GIs In far away countries. Can't imagine them trying to fly them in. Maybe they used them in MRE's. Not sure how. Never had one.

[Raider Bill]

Deep fried Twinkies wrapped in bacon then dipped in dark chocolate ;D

[clww]

The new version also does not have the long-term shelf life of the original variety, either.

[Kansas]

Raider Bill, you must have been at a fair, or carnival, or festival. I have heard of a lot of different fried foods at them. I try to stay away from a bunch of fried food. People tell me how good they are.I decided to punch up fried fair food, and see what all they fry, and I got more than I bargained for. Here is the link.

http://www.delish.com/food-fun/weird-fried-food#slide-1

Turns out it also had international fried foods. I am sooooo not eating fried tarantulas. Or fried silkworms. As Clint Eastwood said, a man has got to know his limitations.

[Raider Bill]

I remembered reading about them when the Florida State Fair was running a couple years ago. Sounded good to me. digin1

I'll pass on a bunch of the other stuff.

[WmFritz]

but sure makes ya wonder what the old "Twinkies" Union was thinking back when they said no to the company.   They did not put the contract to a vote to the union members.   Just flat rejected it

Mark

I know it's popular to blame the union for all of a companies financial problems. What you never hear about in the media is the other side.

Hostess management had been stealing money from the pension fund since at least the early '80's. When executives put the company in bankruptcy in 2004, workers not only took wage cuts to keep the doors open, they also agreed to more flexible work hours. Many people's hours were cut from 40 hrs to 28-32 hrs a week.

In 2011, the executives decided to award themselves with huge salary increases, even though the the company was swimming in debt. These same executives had to be already planning to take Hostess back into bankruptcy, which they did in January, 2012.

Brian Driscoll, CEO, around $750,000 to $2,550,000 (300% raise)
Gary Wandschneider, EVP, $500,000 to $900,000
John Stewart, EVP, $400,000 to $700,000
David Loeser, EVP, $375,000 to $656,256
Kent Magill, EVP, $375,000 to $656,256
Richard Seban, EVP, $375,000 to $656,256
John Akeson, SVP, $300,000 to $480,000
Steven Birgfeld, SVP, $240,000 to $360,000
Martha Ross, SVP, $240,000 to $360,000
Rob Kissick, SVP, $182,000 to $273,008

Later that year, Hostess offered their workers an ultimatum. A five year contract take it or leave it. The first year was an 8% cut, followed by 5% the second year and 4% cuts for each year 3-4 and 5. Along with the wage cuts; pension funds eliminated ( which had been raided for years anyway), out-of-pocket healthcare payments increased $265.00 a month and overtime after 40 hrs  eliminated.

Union Representatives brought the contract offer to the workers and they did vote. They voted to show these greedy company executives what they thought of their "offer". They voted to strike. All 13 plants walked out. They knew by doing so would probably close the doors. They also knew that that was managements agenda.

I don't know how anyone could blame any person for taking a stand against an entitled class of people who mandate poverty level wages, while giving themselves obscene salary increases. Not to mention the bonuses and golden parachutes they gave themselves.

I apologize for skidding into the ditch over something so seemingly harmless as a Twinkie. But, peoples lives have been turned upside down and the media doesn't give the working folks their side.

[mikerat]

Thanks you Wmfritz for that update. As a hard working Union man I appreciate passing out the facts. After reading all the comments about smaller and cost more I was going to say "well can't blame this on the Union". Your post was much more thoughtful than mine would have been, again Thanks!

Mike Rat

[Kansas]

Near as I can tell, that knocks the pay into the 11.00 range, after figuring a lot higher health care. By the company going into bankruptcy, maybe the pension guarantee fund might still protect their pensions. Not sure how all that works. Its a common ploy for executives. Jack up their pay, cut it for everyone else. Then when the company goes bankrupt when they go to look for another job, they can just say, "it was the union". Transfer blame to the workers.

[red oaks lumber]

you posted salieries of managment, what were the wages and beneifits of the employees? there is always 2 sides, i'm only being told 1 side.

[WmFritz]

Spikers memory is good. Actually, hourly rates at the time of the 2012 bankruptcy filing was $16-18 an hour. If the bakers had excepted the wage concessions, by 2017 they'd be earning $12-13.50 an hour minus the buck and a half per hour towards health care.

  I can't comment on benefits without doing some digging. I think I  remember reading a worker with 30 years+,  retiring before the 2012 filing, collected around $1600.00 a month. After the filing, I think it dropped to around $ 500.00. I need to check on that. I dont recall what they were getting for health insurance.  Oh, and time and half for anything after 40 hours. 

[thecfarm]

Too bad to see the company go under. Hostess kept a lot of people in a job in the state of Maine.  Seem like most companies wants the workers to pay more and more for health care and other so called benefits.
Never really a Twinkie fan. But those chocolate cupcakes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could eat a box full at a time. I would go to the outlet store and buy 6 boxes of day old,Yea day old,those things would not taste any diffeant in a month. Some would make it to the freezer,but not for long.

[Ron Wenrich]

I never had a Twinkies or a Ho-Ho.  I remember seeing an experiment that was ongoing about Twinkies.  They put them in a bell jar, just to see how long they would last.  After 20 years, the packaging had disintegrated, but the Twinkie was still edible.  Industrial food at its finest.

In our area, they have Tasticake.  Its a firm out of Philadelphia.  They pretty much crowd Twinkies out of the picture.  But, after seeing their prices in the grocery store, I'll pass.

[SwampDonkey]

Around here it was Jos Louis cakes and Vachon cakes. My grandfather was worst than a kid for that stuff. He would load up for a fishing trip and it was those cakes and soda along with can goods. Guess what got eaten.  :

[pigman]

The can goods.

[Raider Bill]

I hope not Grandfather!

[Mooseherder]

Around here it was Jos Louis cakes and Vachon cakes. My grandfather was worst than a kid for that stuff. He would load up for a fishing trip and it was those cakes and soda along with can goods. Guess what got eaten.  :

My brother made a good living selling those pastry along with the Canadian Town Talk bread from Edmunston.  That bakery made some good pastry also and had quite a selection for a couple generations.
All great products until they're bought out by the conglomerates and then everything tastes the same.
The Vachon caramel cakes with cream frosting are awesome and the cream rolls are a treat also.  I could sell them by the trailer load down here. 
Nothing comes close to it.  Thanks for the memories.
I'll load up my belly with something inferior later. :D

[SwampDonkey]

I'll load up my belly with something inferior later. :D

:D :D

[davidlarson]

I read recently someone claimed that they liked Twinkies better than Pop-Tarts.  The reason was the difference in preparation time. 
David L.

[thecfarm]

pop tarts gives me heart burn so bad.

[Raider Bill]

Frosted brown sugar cinnamon are my favorite pop tarts. ;)

[Corley5]

Frosted brown sugar cinnamon are my favorite pop tarts. ;)

They used to be mine too but they're the kid's favorites also.  Zach's eleven  and wasn't very old when he started eating them.  Years of brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tarts has ruined them for me  :( ;D  I like the frosted strawberry now but no one else does so I seldom get them which means I'll like them for a while longer  8)

[SwampDonkey]

Never much cared for pop tarts, but toast with jam I'll settle for. ;D