MVP155: eBay, TCGplayer & the Syracuse Union Showdown

About this episode

The episode discusses the closure of TCG Player's Syracuse authentication center and its implications for employees and the union.

In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, Douglas Johnson (DJ) and I discuss the recent turmoil surrounding TCG Player and eBay. TCG Player recently announced the closure of it's Syracuse authentication center and the firing of 220 employees, right as the union was within weeks of finalizing a collective agreement. We talk about TCG Player's history in dealing with its employees, what this means for sellers and buyers on the platform, and the ethics (or lack thereof) in running a multibillion dollar corporation. Here's a short summary of the situation In early 2023, the graders and authenticators at TCGplayer’s Syracuse Authentication Center voted to unionize under the Communications Workers of America (CWA). On May 22, 2025, eBay announced it would close that Syracuse facility, affecting about 220 employees, and shift all authentication work to one of its logistics centers in Kentucky. The closure came just days after union leadership and eBay management wrapped up their first contract negotiations—CWA says the timing is suspicious. eBay’s official line is that consolidating in Kentucky “streamlines operations” and keeps costs down. Minimum wage and overhead in Kentucky are much…

People in this episode

Host: Tom Traplin

Guest: Douglas Johnson

Topics covered

• eBay
• TCG Player
• unionization
• corporate ethics
• employee layoffs
• authentication services

Keywords

• TCG Player
• eBay
• Syracuse
• unionization
• employee layoffs
• corporate ethics
• authentication

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: TCG Player, eBay, Communications Workers of America

Places: Syracuse, Kentucky

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