A Union Killed Hostess— but Not the One You Think - Holman Jenkins thinks the Teamsters are to blame for the Twinkie-maker's exit

The real story is the story of two unions, the Teamsters and the Bakery union of the AFL-CIO. Here's where things get interesting.

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The Teamsters reluctantly agreed to givebacks to finance the company's latest turnaround attempt. The bakers rejected any concessions and went out on strike, despite being informed that the result would be the liquidation of the parent company and the loss of 18,500 jobs.

Tsk tsk, went even the liberal media, assuming that union bloody-mindedness must be at work. Think again. As the bakers rightly saw it, they were being asked once more to prop up Teamster jobs that would likely guarantee that any Hostess resurrection would be short-lived.


A Union Killed Hostess— but Not the One You Think - Holman Jenkins thinks the Teamsters are to blame for the Twinkie-maker's exit

AND... the defined benefit package that strangled them