Following last week's announcement that it plans to reopen and begin hiring employees for its bakeries located in Columbus, Ga. and Emporia, Kan., Hostess Brands, LLC announced that it will open additional bakeries in Indianapolis, Ind. and Schiller Park, Ill. The company has partnered with the applicable states and cities to make it possible to reopen the bakeries and bring jobs back to local communities. In conjunction with the hiring process, Hostess is accepting applications for employment at both the Columbus and Emporia bakeries. Further information concerning the application process for the Indianapolis and Schiller Park facilities will be forthcoming, including at the Website listed below.
Several articles appearing in the press last week suggested that Hostess is opposed to having labor unions in its bakeries and is specifically seeking non-union workers, according to the company. This is not the case, reports Hostess. Hostess announced that it respects union rights and will not discriminate against job applicants on the basis of union membership or union activities. Hostess intends to hire the most qualified applicants, regardless of their age, race, gender or prior or current union affiliation. If a majority of the individuals hired at a Hostess facility are from the former company’s unionized workforce, the company said it will comply with any legal obligations it may have concerning bargaining with any union.
According to the company, the recent statements in the press attributed to various Hostess officials are incomplete and do not reflect the policies of Hostess. None of the company representatives stated or intended to imply that Hostess will be avoiding union-represented employees or job applicants. It is the policy of Hostess to comply with all applicable laws in its hiring process and not discriminate against job applicants on the basis of any protected characteristic, including union membership.
The company respects the right under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act to organize and bargain collectively through a union and the right to refrain from those activities. The company will not interfere with those rights. The hiring process at all of the locations will be administered by third-party and Hostess human resources professionals – and not the persons to whom the statements were attributed – with assistance from various state and local labor and employment agencies.
Hostess expects to begin hiring next month, with preliminary operations at some of the locations expected to commence in late May. The company is aiming to have product back on shelves by the end of July.
