2 days ago
TCGPlayer employee speaks on closing agreement with eBay
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR) — After a loss of 220 jobs, TCGUnion, the official union for TCGPlayer, approved a closing agreement with eBay.
Approximately two weeks ago, a six-year TCGPlayer employee, Richard Vallejo, rallied with his coworkers against union busting by their parent company, eBay. Now, they are walking away. But not empty-handed. They have an improved severance package.
Syracuse's TCGplayer, eBay come to agreement over severance package
'We had a lot of back and forth to really, you know, really make sure our members got what they needed to, you know, try to get them through and kind of buy them time to find another job and get back on their feet,' Vallejo said.
The package included 20 weeks of severance pay, six months of medical coverage, seven months of mental health benefits, and a $1,250 ratification bonus for everyone in the bargaining unit. But Vallejo said it does not feel entirely like a win.
'Obviously, you always hope you can get more, and it's really…you can't really get enough or anything to make up for the fact that we're losing our community…we're losing our workplace,' he said.
Vallejo said he dreads June 20, the first wave of dismissals.
'That's definitely going to be a hit,' he said. 'A lot of people are going to be gone, and it's going to start to feel a bit more empty and barren around the workplace, and just a lot less life in general.'
But Vallejo said he is grateful for the time spent with his work family.
'I think a number of people feel similarly…feeling, like, changed and trying to take this as an open door to step into the next part of our lives,' he said,
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