David Nicklaus’ column "At Hostess, conflict trumps economics" (Nov. 18) unfairly portrays the Hostess tragedy as a case of he said/she said with a splash of employee irrationality.
Mr. Nicklaus stated “union members understandably didn’t want to sacrifice about 30 percent of their pay and benefits, but isn’t that better than losing 100 percent?”
An apt comparison would be to ask would Jack Dawson sharing a piece of wood in the freezing Atlantic after the Titanic sank keep him alive.
Hostess had closed 21 plants since 2004, squandered $110 million in worker concessions, had six different CEOs, some of which gave themselves pay raises of 300 percent, and been through two bankruptcies and there was still no realistic sign of a turnaround for the company.
The private equity and hedge fund managers traveling in first class on the good ship Hostess may talk a good game while buying lifeboats to save themselves, but the workers that kept this ship afloat have decided to stop sinking and stand up. Let's hope the band plays on.
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Darin Gilley • Pacific