CWA-TCGunion Launch “Tapped Out at TCGplayer” Report on Poverty-Level Wages at eBay Subsidiary

NATIONWIDE – Today, CWA-TCGunion has launched the “Tapped Out at TCGplayer” report, which provides shocking evidence that workers at the profitable tech giant eBay are struggling to make ends meet financially. A CWA survey conducted of over 50 Authentication Center workers about wages and the cost of living in Syracuse, N.Y., revealed the following:

• Wages for all the non-management workers at the Authentication Center are low, with a median wage of $18.25 per hour.
• The majority (87%) of Authentication Center workers earn less than a living wage in Syracuse, N.Y., for a single person without children.
• A majority of survey respondents feel financially insecure. 78% of respondents feel worried they will not be able to meet all of their financial obligations, and another 13% are “sometimes” worried.
• The majority of survey respondents report delaying necessary medical care (57%) and buying groceries (56%) among their struggles with their low wages at TCGplayer.

The full report can be found here.

“Workers at TCGplayer have been clear about what they need: a fair contract that ensures livable wages and better working conditions. eBay can afford to make this happen, but instead, they’ve chosen to stall, delay, and hire union-busting firms. We won’t stop fighting until eBay comes to the table and engages in good faith negotiations,” said Dennis Trainor, CWA District 1 Vice President.

Today’s report release coincided with a rally in Syracuse where over 60 CWA Local 1123-TCGunion members were joined by elected officials, Citizen Action of NY, and the NY Working Families Party to demand that eBay returns to the bargaining table after refusing to negotiate a first contract in good faith. After 272 workers at the TCGplayer Authentication Center facility secured union representation in March 2023, eBay deployed a relentless union-busting campaign and has refused to bargain in good faith rather than constructively negotiate the terms of a contract.

“Us workers are the backbone of eBay’s operations. It’s unacceptable that a company of eBay’s size and profitability refuses to negotiate in good faith. They can give $1.9 billion to their shareholders while allowing their workers, who generate their profit, to decide on if they are going to buy groceries or go to their doctor's appointment their insurance doesn't cover. We should be able to get by and thrive with our jobs alone, and not with the dependent support of our friends or loved ones,” said Julia Giacona, eBay worker and CWA Local 1123-TCGunion member.

“Following TCGplayer workers’ successful vote to form a union last year, TCGplayer should stop stalling, stay at the table and bargain in good faith with CWA to forge a fair contract ASAP. I commend the union members of CWA Local 1123 for their steadfast determination to secure a fair contract over wages, benefits and working conditions. I believe businesses and our economy are most efficient and equitable when labor and management work collaboratively to craft fair and lasting contracts,” said Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer.

Photos from the rally in Syracuse can be found here.

TCGplayer is one of the largest online marketplaces for verification services, card games, and collectible trading cards. Workers are responsible for ensuring that every shipment in and out of TCGplayer’s hub in Syracuse is completed accurately and meets quality standards.

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The Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA) is a network of worker-organizers and their staff working every single day to build the voice and power necessary to ensure the future of the tech, game, and digital industries in the United States and Canada. CODE-CWA is a project of the Communications Workers of America, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers throughout tech, media, telecom, and other industries who stand together to fight for justice on the job and in our communities.

cwa-union.org @cwaunion