Latest news with #TCGPlayer
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
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, Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
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' Town of Onondaga, city to see upcoming I-81 lane reduction Most Syracuse councilors dodge questions about cuts to city budget, except two running for mayor It's been a wet May in Syracuse, but cool too? 'It's an ugly bill'; Schumer says Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' will cut SNAP for 100,000 Central New Yorkers 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. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
