eBay TCGPlayer Layoffs Under Investigation As Law Firm Looks Into Potential WARN Act Violations
Class action law firm Strauss Borrelli PLLC is investigating eBay for potential WARN Act violations related to recent mass layoff at subsidiary TCGPlayer.
eBay announced the layoff on May 22nd, cutting over 200 jobs at the warehouse in Syracuse, NY and finally bringing an end to the first union in eBay history as authentication operations were moved to a new facility in Kentucky.
Liz Morton
At the time, the layoffs were to take place in two groups the first on June 20th and a second tranche for the rest of the affected employees on July 18th - both of which would have been less than 60 days from the May 22nd announcement date.
Strauss Borrelli PLLC says they believe eBay may have violated the WARN Act - a federal law that requires certain employers to notify their employees, in writing, at least 60 days before a plant closing or mass layoff takes effect - and as a result, affected employees may be entitled to 60 days of severance pay and benefits.
Strauss Borrelli PLLC
WHAT HAPPENED?
On August 22, 2025, eBay notified the New York Department of Labor of its decision to conduct a mass layoff at its facility in Syracuse, New York.The federal law, known as the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, requires covered employers to provide 60 days’ prior written notice to employees, their representatives, and certain government parties in the event of a mass layoff or plant closing.
We are investigating whether eBay failed to provide at least 60 days’ notice before laying off 215 employees and, therefore, violated the WARN Act.
ABOUT THE WARN ACT:
The WARN Act is a federal law passed in 1988 by Congress that requires employers with 100 or more employees to provide a 60-day notice of significant layoffs or plant closings. This notice gives workers and their families time to prepare for job loss, seek new employment, and pursue training or retraining opportunities......Employers who do not follow the WARN Act rules, either by giving notice too late or providing unclear notices, may have to pay employees back pay and benefits for the time they were in violation.
However, it's unclear what legal rights Strauss Borrelli PLLC could even pursue for these laid off workers, since they were able to successfully appear pressure from a threatened boycott to gain severance and benefits concessions from eBay, and even if there are still legal options available, it's also not clear if the potential payout would be better than what these employees have already received.
Liz Morton
In a statement issued at the time the closing agreement was finalized, TCGUnion-CWA said:
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 offered6 months of COBRA medical coverage paid for by the company7 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 still we 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
Presumably, that agreement likely also included terms that would prevent any of the unionized workers who signed it and took the severance and benefits offered from pursuing any further legal avenues for compensation above and beyond the terms that were already greater than the 60 days of severance required by the WARN Act.
However, if there were any non-union member employees affected by the layoffs they would not have been included in any union bargaining, so there are perhaps still some potential plaintiffs who could be helped if the law firm moves forward with their investigation.
Strauss Borrelli PLLC is urging anyone who was impacted by this eBay TCGPlayer layoff to fill out a form, call 872.263.1100 or email sam@straussborrelli.com .
