Statement from TCGunion-CWA Local 1123 on Closing Agreement with eBay/TCGplayer

(Syracuse, N.Y.) ‒ Statement from TCGunion-CWA Local 1123 in regards to unanimously ratifying a settlement with eBay subsidiary TCGplayer following their announcement to shut down its Syracuse-based Authentication Center, eliminating hundreds of union jobs in an attempt to evade its bargaining obligations and to keep the company union-free. 

Today we ratified a closing agreement with eBay/TCGplayer with a unanimous vote. After several intensive days of bargaining, sustained pressure from your boycott, and the solidarity of our members, we were able to win a substantially improved severance package for TCGplayer workers.

This package includes:

• 20 weeks severance pay with an additional $2.50/hr above current wages for everyone within the bargaining unit, more than double what we were originally offered
• 6 months of COBRA medical coverage paid for by the company
• 7 months of continued mental health benefits
• $1,250 ratification bonus for everyone in the bargaining unit.

This severance agreement makes sure that our members will land firmly on their feet as we all move forward. We are so grateful for the support the TCG community has shown us, and we would not have made it this far without you all. Thank you for standing with us in solidarity and being such great allies in our fight.

In this time of extreme inequality, it is more important than ever for the working class to organize. TCGunion-CWA built collective power for hundreds of workers in Syracuse, joining together to fight for fair treatment for all. We fought back against a multi-billion-dollar corporation, changing our understanding of the power we wield, and we will carry that with us forever.

eBay could only beat our union by closing down the entire Authentication Center and leaving town. We live in a time of unchecked corporate power, and we still brought them to the table again and again. From Syracuse to Louisville, workers everywhere deserve rights, respect, and dignity on the job. As long as we don’t stop fighting for it, we will win.

In solidarity,
TCGunion-CWA

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About CODE-CWA

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.

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