Blame greed for Hostess demise

So, the Hostess Co. is probably going to come to an end as we know it. But, of course, the blame is all to fall on the workers, isn’t that how it always goes? Forget that all employee benefits are the product of labor/management negotiations — blame the lowest guy on the ladder for the failure. Hostess filed for bankruptcy before, and in an effort to save the company and their jobs the workers agreed to cuts in pay and cuts in benefits up to 75 percent. They hoped the company would right itself eventually, and they all would survive. But the management continued its poor practices, and today the company finds itself on the verge of extinction — but not before it pays those failed executives millions of dollars in bonuses. (For what? I ask.)

It seems to be the normal course of events today that when a company fails, the failures are rewarded and the laborers are punished with unemployment and no recourse. This is an example of American business practices — from the financial industry to the retail company. It makes no difference how incompetent you are as you rise to the top of your company, you will always have your golden parachute, but if the people who worked for years in good faith get screwed, well that’s their lot. Too bad for them.

The selfishness and greed that permeates the business world today is immoral.

Robert Harris

Bartlett