Hundreds Losing Jobs in Central New York as Major Company Moves South

More than 200 hardworking New Yorkers are out of a job after a major employer announced plans to leave the state.

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It's another devastating blow to Central New York's economy and some are saying it's because of unions.

Following the announcement that Rite Aid will close or sell off all of its stores, another nationally known name is pulling the plug in the Mohawk Valley.

This time, Syracuse is on the chopping block.

The move comes from eBay, who announced plans to shutter TCGplayer in Downtown Syracuse. The company acquired TCG, which specializes in trading cards, for $295 million in 2022.

TCG was founded in 2008 and resided at The Galleries complex on Warren Street since 2018.

eBay plans to move TCG operations to a logistics company in Louisville, Kentucky to consolidate its workforce.

All 220 employees working at the facility will be laid off, the company confirmed. eBay said it will "[take] care of our people during this transition."

Those working remotely were not impacted by the layoffs.

Union Accusing eBay to Keep Unions out of Company

In an interesting twist, some are alleging the closure isn't economic in nature - but political.

The company has been named in an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board. The Communications Workers of America are accusing eBay of shuttering its Syracuse office to "evade its bargaining obligations and to keep the company union-free."

TCGplayer workers voted to join the CWA a year after eBay acquired the company.

Eric Tillotson, a member of TCGunion-CWA Local 1123, said in a statement:

Since we launched our union, eBay has waged a relentless campaign to silence us and stop our efforts to make TCGplayer better for everyone, including card enthusiasts and sellers.

eBay is also accused of stalling contract negotiations by using unlawful union-busting tactics.

Read More: 30 Big Chains That Are Closing or Have Closed Locations in 2025

The company is denying the allegations.

Meanwhile, Syracuse.com obtained an email sent by TCGplayer CEO Rob Bigler to employees, which claimed the closure was caused by the company losing money.

Consolidating operations into eBay’s Authentication Center in Louisville allows us to streamline operations, share costs like rent and utilities, tap into a stronger logistics infrastructure, and it positions our (authentication center) closer to the geographic center of our sellers and buyers across the U.S.

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh expressed disappointment over the closure, saying TCG's presence "helped drive a tech resurgence" in the city.

His office will also be working with the displaced workers to find new placement.

Politically motivated or not, the loss is another blow to the Central New York economy.