28-05-2025
TGCPlayer workers fight back against ‘union busting'
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR) — TCGPlayer workers, unionized with Communications Workers of America Local 1123, are preparing to lose their jobs after finding out eBay's motives to shut down the Syracuse-based location.
eBay alerted Syracuse employees on Thursday that their operations would be consolidating to Louisville, Kentucky. But 100 soon-to-be-let-go workers, and their supporters, displayed a united front during a rally Tuesday afternoon.
'When we fight, we win,' protestors said in unison. 'We're coming for you, eBay.'
TGCPlayer workers fight back against 'union busting'
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Union members accused the global online marketplace of 'union busting' with the decision to close their center and cut over 220 jobs.
'They dropped this on the workers and only notified our union about five minutes in advance of the closure,' Ethan Saleriusm, former TCGPlayer employee, said. 'They didn't bring it to the bargaining table at all. We've been with them at the bargaining table for over 600 days.'
On that fateful day, six-year employee Richard Vallejo remembers the morning starting like any other in the office. The donuts were in their typical spot on the breakfast table, but the termination email was out of place.
'We all feel like the floor has just been completely dropped out from below our feet,' Vallejo said.
In the middle of the rally, employees cried, consoled, and supported one another as they realized they were about to lose their family.
'It is absolutely unconscionable what eBay is doing to them right now, and so I wanted to be here to support these workers and, importantly, call on eBay to return the generous tax breaks and public dollars they received when they acquired TCGPlayer,' Alexander Marion, City Auditor of Syracuse, said.
Currently, the next step for employees is demanding compensation and respect before walking out the door for the last time during the summer.
'The severance that TCG is offering right now is frankly unacceptable and insulting,' Salerius said. 'The members want, you know, as much severance as they can possibly get because they've poured their lives into this company and they deserve to be compensated for that.'
eBay also responded to NewsChannel 9 about allegations regarding emotional and physical abuse from trained security guards at the Syracuse location.
'We take the well-being and safety of our team members around the world extremely seriously. We are committed to ensuring that all eBay safety procedures are consistently followed and that our workplace remains respectful and secure for everyone.'
Sharing a few points on background:
We are conducting an internal investigation following recent claims to confirm that personnel followed protocol and conducted themselves in line with our policies.
Security staff are not permitted to physically engage with anyone under any circumstances, and we have strict protocols in place to ensure their conduct aligns with these protocols.
We consistently monitor and enforce these protocols to maintain a respectful and secure environment for all team members.
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