Workers at trading card marketplace TCGplayer form eBay's first union<p>The workers at eBay-owned TCGplayer, a marketplace for trading card games such as
Magic: The Gathering, have voted <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="
https://cwa-union.org/news/releases/workers-tcgplayer-celebrate-groundbreaking-win-tcgunioncwa-becomes-first-certified">in favor of joining a union[/url]. eBay <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/ebay-acquire-tcgplayer-295-million-193137961.html">purchased[/url] the company in 2022 for a deal valued up to $295 million, but the website continues to operate independently. Now that all 272 non-supervisory workers at the company's authentication center in Syracuse, New York are represented by the Communications Workers of America, they've become the first group to form a union at eBay in the US. </p><p>The organized workers, who are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and quality of all shipments in and out of the company, <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/ebay-trading-card-marketplace-tcgplayer-union-election-194156621.html">filed for a union election[/url] with the National Labor Relations Board back in January. They wanted to unionize in a bid to have a voice within the company, and they were also seeking pay raises to account for inflation, a fair and comprehensive sick leave and absence policy, as well as inclusive career advancement opportunities, fair and transparent hiring practices, and clearly defined job roles and expectations.</p><span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>In the CWA's announcement of the union victory, it said TCGPlayer workers first tried to unionize in 2020. However, the company hired a union buster to "spread disinformation," and the workers ultimately withdrew their petition for a vote due to the pandemic. While they were successful this time around, their employer reportedly tried to get them to back down again. CWA filed an <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/cwa-ebay-tcgplayer-unfair-labor-practice-charge-193418489.html">unfair labor practice charge[/url] against the company in January for illegally surveilling union activity. It <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/card-trading-company-hit-with-labor-charges-over-worker-threats">filed more charges[/url] just last week, accusing the company of threatening workers for supporting unionization efforts and forcing them to attend anti-union meetings, as well. The unionized workers are still waiting for the NLRB's decision on those complaints.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/tcgplayer-workers-form-ebay-first-union-095615128.html?src=rssSource:
Workers at trading card marketplace TCGplayer form eBay's first union
