Union touts severance agreement with eBay’s TCGplayer
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Union touts severance agreement with eBay’s TCGplayer
The labor union representing workers at eBay’s TCGplayer office in Syracuse says members unanimously approved a closing agreement to provide improved severance packages. The agreement includes 20 weeks of severance pay with an additional $2.50 an hour above current wages. The company is laying off 220 Syracuse employees this summer and moving the Syracuse center’s operations to Louisville, Kentucky. eBay acquired the tech platform for the collectibles industry in 2022 for about $295 million.
In a statement posted on Facebook Monday, TCGunion-CWA reported ratifying an agreement with eBay/TCGplayer that includes 20 weeks of severance pay with an additional $2.50 an hour above current wages; six months of COBRA medical insurance coverage paid for by the company; seven months of continued mental health benefits; and a $1,250 ratification bonus.
“After several intensive days of bargaining, sustained pressure from your boycott, and the solidarity of our members, we were able to win a substantially improved severance package for TCGPlayer workers,” the statement says.
TCGplayer’s parent company, eBay, is laying off 220 Syracuse employees this summer and moving the Syracuse center’s operations to Louisville, Kentucky.
eBay acquired the tech platform for the collectibles industry in 2022 for about $295 million.
TCGplayer joined the Communication Workers of America Union in 2023, making it the first group from eBay to formally unionize. Employees had been fighting to finalize a first contract for more than 600 days. The May announcement that the authentication center in Syracuse would close came as a shock to staff, who suspect the decision was made to disrupt the unionization efforts.
eBay has denied those claims, saying its shift south will give it “access to logistics infrastructure, location, and expertise we need to sustainably serve and invest in the hobby community for years to come.”
An eBay spokesperson released a statement Tuesday afternoon, saying it was pleased to reach an agreement with Communications Workers of America.
“We appreciate the CWA’s collaboration throughout the bargaining process, and believe the agreement provides the necessary support and resources to our employees during this transition. As always, we remain committed to taking care of our people, and treating them with care and respect through this process,” the statement said.
Syracuse’s TCGplayer office is described as the leading marketplace for trading card games like Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon.