eBay is laying off 220 employees at TCGplayer’s card authentication center in Syracuse, New York, as previously reported by the local news outlet LocalSyr. The company plans to shift the operations of the online trading card marketplace to a facility in Kentucky. According to TCGplayer’s union, this move is seen as eBay’s effort to “avoid its bargaining obligations.”
Additionally, TCGplayer and eBay have called off a meeting intended to finalize the union’s first contract just days before the announcement regarding the closure of the Syracuse location.
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has filed a new unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), accusing eBay of terminating employees to sidestep bargaining responsibilities. On Monday, the CWA also reported that eBay had deployed security personnel at TCGplayer’s Syracuse center, which they claim has fostered a hostile environment marked by harassment of staff.
“TCGplayer is shutting down its Syracuse Authentication Center to centralize operations within an eBay logistics facility in Kentucky,” stated eBay spokesperson Maddy Martinez in a comment to The Verge. “We understand the immediate impact this has on our employees, their families, and the Syracuse community, and we are committed to supporting our team during this transition.”
“The decision to assign security guards to watch us immediately after informing us of our job losses feels like psychological warfare,” said Zach Freeman, an eBay worker and member of the TCGunion-CWA Local 1123, in a press release. “By implementing this harsh surveillance and intimidation strategy, TCGplayer and eBay are doing everything possible to punish us for exercising our federally protected rights to organize.”
Update, May 27th: Included a statement from eBay.
