Bruce Vail of In These Times reports on the latest developments in the standoff between Hostess Brands, the makers of Twinkies, and the Teamsters. Rank-and-file members are set to vote next week on a brutal last, best, and final offer from the company:

The vote is the latest development in a seven-month standoff between the Teamsters and Hostess, which filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in January and demanded sweeping concessions from its unionized workforce. Failure by the Teamsters and several other unions to agree to the concessions will mean the final collapse of Hostess and the loss of all 17,000 jobs at the company, Hostess officials have said.

That the cuts will be painful is clear, although the Teamsters are withholding the full details pending the vote. Hostess CEO Gregory Rayburn sent out a letter to employees August 20 estimating that–for all workers, including management–wages would be cut by 8 percent next year and givebacks in health care insurance would further reduce overall income. The proposal would also erase millions in pensions owed to workers and relieve the company of any requirement to make pension fund contributions for the next three years.

[Photo credit: Jenn Durfey, Creative Commons.]