Jackson Jambalaya

Do they realize they will probably lose even more pay and benefits under the bankruptcy/buy-out scenario than if they made concessions?

Unions should be ashamed in this instance.

Can you see where idiots are born? It's born in the minds of those who think that it is better to be unemployed rather than to take a little less... definitely need to wakeup thinking someone will want to hire them under those terms (Who is John Galt?)

Why work Uncle Obama will take care of his people... White man never did... But Uncle Obama will... FREE housing, food, utilities, and soon cell phones and internet...

Hat Woman and Kenif on their way... SAVE THE TWINKIES, HO HO's AND DING DONGS

I know it is fashionable around here for a large percentage of the readership to instantly take the right-wing, knee-jerk, reactionary tract on stories like this and place all of the blame on the hourly unionized workers who probably did well to finish high school, which of course would put them in with the majority of Mississippi residents and citizens who do well to finish high school, but management apparently shares some blame here. After the private-equity buyout of Hostess brands, the companies debt almost tripled. Was the union(s) stupid to walk-out and leave the bargaining table and stop working, sure they were, but it takes TWO to tango folks. Thank God the Judge in the matter has ordered both sides today into mediation.

What are the justifications for paying Hostess management $6 Million in bonuses?
Wall Street Journal:

By Jacqueline Palank
Hostess Brands Inc. could kick off its bankruptcy liquidation as soon as Monday.

The maker of Twinkies, Wonder Bread and other iconic baked goods Friday announced its intent to liquidate its 82-year-old business after failing to halt a worker strike by its second-largest union.

In a motion filed Friday in Manhattan bankruptcy court, Hostess requested permission to wind down its operations and take steps to preserve its assets ahead of a sale. Everything from the company's manufacturing equipment to well-known brand names will be up for grabs.

The company also is seeking court approval to pay up to $1.75 million in bonuses to 19 officers and high-level managers "to motivate and encourage" them to essentially put themselves out of a job. It also wants to pay up to $4.36 million in retention bonuses to nonsenior managers.

In all, about 18,500 workers will lose their jobs in the liquidation, which Hostess estimates will cost $41.3 million in the first 13 weeks.
As someone who has received no pay raise in five years, and receives less net due to an increase in deducions (one of which was mandatory union dues, that I objected to), I would not say I favor the Baker's union position.
I told many friends in the days leading up to the strike "They need to join the real world."

I still don't see how this justifies $6 million in bonuses for management.
It seems to me management needs to join the real world as well.
To me it is more of he same - one set of rules for management, another for workers.
In the last five years my workload has doubled, management's has not changed.
At least they haven't been given bonuses.

$6MM does not equal $2B in any stretch of the imagination. Good try 7:59PM. You know you are reaching for straws, or should I say strawman.

KK, like 7:59, I have criticized management's looting of the company in the months leading up to the bankruptcy. I agree with you that ending management pillaging would not have saved the company.

My issue is that it is unfair and unreasonable to ask workers to take accept an "across the board" pay cut when it wasn't across the board. Workers should not have been asked to take pay cuts while the front office pricks tripled their salaries.

That's corrupt, and they stuck it right in the workers's face. I can't blame the workers for driving a stake through the company's heart.

I don't think all the facts are in. 300% is relative to an actual salary number. If this was an issue, then it should have come up in mediation. As I've read about it, it appears that some, not all, of the unions refused to even mediate, in fact, they didn't show up at the hearing where the judge told them to do so. Sticking out your toungue, waving your fingers in your ears and shouting nanabooboo is not a strategy.

10:13, the actual numbers are:

CEO's salary while he was running the company into the ground: $750,000.00/year.

CEO's salary after Hostess filed for bankruptcy: $2,500,000.00/year.

Appears kinda low for a CEO of.n American brand stalwart! Especially with the BS they have dealt with over the years, namely unions.

6:58 for a successful CEO, I would agree. For a self-dealing piece of crap who runs the company into bankruptcy, not so much.