Tuesday, February 11, 1997
Merchants workers in shock
By BOB BRUCE / Senior Staff Writer
Shock dominated the emotions Monday at Merchants Fast Motor
Lines after employees were notified the trucking line is shutting
down.
"Merchants is like a big family. It's a sad situation,"
said Doug Paxton, 50, terminal manager for Merchants on East U.S.
Highway 80.
"I don't think the reality of the situation has soaked
in," said Paxton, a 28-year employee of Merchants.
The corporate announcement stated that 1,400 people would be
laid off systemwide, including 125 employees locally.
No shutdown date was announced, Paxton said.
"We're in the wind-down process," he said. "Our
objective right now is to take care of the customers."
What will hurt, Paxton said, is "losing long-term relationships
with folks you're used to," both fellow employees and customers.
"It has not begun to soak in," he said.
Paxton identified deregulation of trucking as the main reason
for the shutdown. While Merchants was one of the major carriers,
it still had its overhead but had to share the customer base,
he said.
Another supervisor, Fred Van Cleave, 41, the evening foreman,
said he learned the news when he arrived for work at noon.
"I was kind of shocked," said Van Cleave, an employee
for 15 years.
Van Cleave acknowledged he was walking around in somewhat of
a daze.
"I'm trying to take care of my job. Taking care of business,"
he said.
Asked about his plans, Van Cleave said, "Right now I don't
know. They've done me all right for 15 years."
Brian Cheek, 35, of Potosi, characterized the mood as one of
shock.
"Everyone's in shock. They just can't believe a company
this old can't make it," he said.
Merchants was organized in 1922.
Cheek, who's been at Merchants for five years, said he previously
worked at Hendrick Medical Center and Gooch Packing Co.
"I was at Gooch's when it shut its doors," he said.
Cheek, who picks up and delivers within the city, said he figured
the closing would take less than a week.
His plans are indefinite, he said.
"I have no idea. There's no telling. I have to look at
it and see what's out there," Cheek said.
Truck driver Jim Seider, a 35-year veteran, said, "We
knew they had problems. We didn't know it'd come down to this.
We got the good news this morning."
Seider, 58, of Clyde, said he plans to look for a job with
another trucking line.
"I really enjoy it (truck driving). I get to meet a lot
of people," he said.
Asked if the employees were angry, Seider replied: "You
can't be mad. They (Merchants) have had problems a pretty good
while. We just hoped they would work it out. But I guess that's
life."
When asked about the future, Seider said, "I'll find something
to do. I ain't gonna' starve to death."
Send a Letter to the Editor about This
Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
Send the URL (Address) of This Story
to A Friend:
Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
|
