Hostess employees in Nash County, North Carolina on Friday were relieved that they would lose their jobs because union workers would not agree to an 8-percent pay cut, which was approved by a bankruptcy judge, and end their strike, which crippled the company's factories across the United States.
Their reactions were surprising, because Nash County has an unemployment rate of 11.1 percent.
Lamont Phillips, an employee, said
the company had been, “holding this over our head for a long time,” and
he was relieved he did not “have to deal with that anymore.”
“They always hold that over our heads, that they’ll close it down,” he said. “So, I’m like, ‘OK. Close it down.’”
Phillips said his potential layoff was a "relief" and his "plan is to find another job."
"We have unemployment, but nobody wants unemployment
without the health benefits. So, we’re pretty much going to find another
job," Phillips said.
Tressy Daniel, who worked at the plant for 26 years, said she thought her losing her job was going to be a "victory for her."
“I know I’m out of a job, but I still
feel myself as coming out with a victory,” she said. “When one door
closes, another will open for you.”
About 18,500 Hostess employees will lose
jobs because union workers did not end their strike by Friday, and
Americans will potentially be deprived of one of the most iconic and
traditional snacks because of greedy unions. Some Hostess union workers
who desperately needed their jobs eventually crossed the picket lines,
but it was not enough.
Even the Teamsters Union, one of the
toughest negotiators, had come to an agreement with Hostess, but the
Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' International
Union refused to come to terms with Hostess before Friday's deadline.
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