Path to Market

Okay guys and girls. Let's use this thread to keep one another updated on the " Path To Market " confusion. Two DSMs ( NC/SC ) from our area are flying to Memphis this week to help with the roll out. Any ideas as to how this will affect jobs? Base pay? I don't want this to turn into a bashing session, just a place to share what we know.

The path to market will not affect jobs in a bad way. But, your paychecks (base pay,commish)will take another hit. Now you have a merchandiser, swing man, lead merchandiser and a driver. What will happen to those little stores in which path to market doesnt comply to them?

I have questioned the same thing. In our market, we have a lot of smaller stops ( restaurants, small mom n pop stores..etc ). How on earth will this work for them? I hope you are right about the job topic though. But I have heard the contrary about our base. That in the contract if we go to this, we will get the full base pay again. Just what I have heard, not something I know for a fact.

Path to Market right now can only be used in those areas where Teamsters are not, they can try it starting in Aug if they show it can work, it has to be tried in New England and shown to work before anywhere else,smaller stores will still be ran the way we run them now,if your depot has 10 routes path to market will cut that by about half.
As to pay, right now pay is set by contract and there is no provision to return to the amount pre exit unless the profit goals are met.

If they go to path to market and it affects you and you dont like it you will have the option of a buyout based on the years of service you have in, which if your close to retirement this could be an added bonus.As of the conference held at the end of last year those companies such as pepsi,coke, and chips, failed to see how path to market could work for our product as it isnt the best for theirs and they are constantly trying to fine tune the way they do buisness.Guess all we can do is wait and see what happens but remember if path to market comes it will mean more job loss for both union and management.

I appreciate the information ILL IBC, but I am a little confused because they are rolling it out in the Memphis market, beginning Monday. We are also hearing that our region ( Atlantic ) will be soon, possibly next.

ILL IBC wrote:

If they go to path to market and it affects you and you dont like it you will have the option of a buyout based on the years of service you have in, which if your close to retirement this could be an added bonus.As of the conference held at the end of last year those companies such as pepsi,coke, and chips, failed to see how path to market could work for our product as it isnt the best for theirs and they are constantly trying to fine tune the way they do buisness.Guess all we can do is wait and see what happens but remember if path to market comes it will mean more job loss for both union and management.

well were i'm the MT. bakery it won't happen here. my question is happens to the stales are they picked up by the driver or just tbhrown away.(no depot in plant 17 has 10 routes )

Abu,
They are allowed by contract to try it in 3 areas that are baker union and no Teamsters,but by contract they cant roll it out anywhere with teamsters till aug of this year and only after showing it can work and according to Volpe it will be tried in the New Englad area first, Plant 17 , yea I know how you guys are set up and I agree , I dont think it would work there but I dont think it will work anywhere, our shelf life isnt like chips or pop, but guess time will tell.

Path to market rolled out in memphis TN on March 8 MONDAY TODAY. I know for a fact.

Yep, it sure did. I haven't heard any details about it, but the routes were on the roads this AM. What will it mean, if anything, I don't know.

wonder guy wrote:

Path to market rolled out in memphis TN on March 8 MONDAY TODAY. I know for a fact.

please keep us informed

The path to the market guys got their base pay restored

That is one thing I had heard would happen. I am interested though to hear if anyone lost their jobs over this.

From what I have heard so far, no one lost their job. A few older guys chose the buy ouy option and retired early, but total number of jobs didn't decrease. Anyone else hear this?

So we need updates, how is path to market working or not working?

wonder guy wrote:

The path to the market guys got their base pay restored

What about the commission rate?

UPDATES PLEASE...

There's been no real talk of this on this forum in a long time... what happened???

Is it true the thrift stores not attached to the depots will be closed.I know all of you routemen think if we close your business will improve,but these customers are people that can not go into the bigger stores for medical reasons,or go from stores to store for lower prices.My husband is disabled and I need the job and the insurance to stay in my house.I feel that the company is just trying to put the squeeze on us older people to ge the younger people in the workforce at a lower pay rate.that is what my husbands company did in the 1990s.what is your comment.

It looks like its on the back burner, Its been kinda quiet about it here at our depot. Every now & then it comes up. I would really like to hear from someone in the Memphis area, or anywhere they are trying p.t.mkt.

I agree with wonder girl. I think its about getting younger YES men who will work for less. They have to pay 2 maybe 3 people to do the job we do alone now, so pay cut are definete!!!!

Path to market was a money losing project and has been abandoned, this was told to the Union several mnths ago by Mr.Driscoll.
He as well acknowledged that the biggest problem in this company is mis-management, but he can not replace or eliminate them all at once...so we wait to see if they keep there word.