Hostess, Bankrupt Maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread, Pushes Major Concessions on Unions [View all]

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http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/12648/hostess_bankrupt_maker_of_twinkies_and_wonder_bread_pushes_major_concession/

In a move unnoticed by almost everyone, this month the corporate owner of Twinkies and Wonder Bread moved decisively to put the labor rights of thousands of its workers on trial.

A federal judge has scheduled a trial for March 5 to decide whether the managers of Hostess Brands have the right to unilaterally cancel labor contracts for some 15,000 union members working for the company, according to documents filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

The primary targets in the trial are the Teamsters members who drive the Hostess trucks, and the bakery workers who produce the breads, cakes and snacks that have made the company famous. Currently, Hostess operates 36 industrial bakeries and hundreds of outlet stores in locations spread across 49 states.

In a statement to In These Times, Hostess spokesman Erik Halvorson all but admitted that scheduling the trial was a pressure tactic to force the unions into concessions now. The company is “committed to reaching a consensual agreement with its unions,” he said, and its courtroom maneuvers “are specifically designed to encourage good-faith negotiations so that we can reach that goal – and that’s what we continue to pursue.”