Real talk: I have always been more of a Little Debbie fan — Swiss Cake Rolls forever! — so I’m not really among the legions of fans mourning the demise of Twinkies, Ding Dongs, and Sno Balls as Hostess, the brand that makes the sweet snacks, has sought court permission to go out of business. The truly sad part is that 18,500 Hostess workers will now be out of jobs; Hostess claims a national strike by members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union — who were resisting Hostess’ attempts to cut wages and benefits — has caused them to shut down shop. But union representatives say that the decision comes as a result of decades-long mismanagement — including a previous bankruptcy filing — and that Hostess was attempting to use the workers as scapegoats as they go about selling off the brand’s assets. I don’t know about you, but an inability to pay workers a decent wage would make even the freshest Twinkie tastes rotten. [NY Times]
