New York’s Comptrollers Call on eBay to Bargain in Good Faith with Workers and Expeditiously Reach a Collective Bargaining Agreement

 

Lander and DiNapoli welcome company’s announcement of workers’ rights assessment following revision of human rights policy

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander and New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli together urged eBay to deliver on its commitment to bargain in good faith with its workers and reach a collective bargaining agreement. The pair welcomed the company’s announcement of an independent third-party assessment of its adherence to its Human Rights Policy, particularly its commitment to upholding fundamental workers rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining, and a revision of that policy to affirm the company’s commitment to global labor standards.

eBay’s latest action is a direct response to a shareholder proposal filed jointly by the New York City retirement systems and the New York State Common Retirement Fund and follows months of engagement with both offices, as well as ongoing calls for the board to remedy and address the company’s poor labor relations. Notably, the assessment will seek confidential input from workers, which is critical to any assessment.

Following the Spring 2023 vote by TCGPlayer employees to unionize at eBay, company management was alleged to have violated U.S. labor law by surveilling employees at work, holding anti-union meetings, and noting employees who displayed support for the union.

“eBay’s board has a responsibility to address investor concerns that the company is not abiding by its own human rights policies in how it has reacted to its workers’ efforts to organize,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “Months of extensive and productive engagement among eBay, my office, and Comptroller DiNapoli, on behalf of the City and State pension funds, led to this encouraging announcement to conduct an independent assessment, which will include confidential worker input, a critical element that Starbucks neglected to include in their assessment. As long-term investors, we also expect that the board will set a new tone at the top and live up to the standards they have set by directing management to bargain in good faith to reach a timely agreement.”

“eBay is taking necessary steps to address concerns related to its workforce management practices,” New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said. “Valuing and respecting the rights of employees is critical for a company’s success and bottom-line. While we look forward to seeing the results of the assessment, this is an encouraging development, and I thank eBay officials and City Comptroller Lander for the positive engagement that led to this effort. Now is the time for eBay to move swiftly to resolve ongoing labor negotiations with terms that are fair to both labor and management. This will enable the company to forge productive relationships with its employees and benefit its communities, customers, and shareholders.”

Comptrollers Lander and DiNapoli have issued direct calls for the board to address troubling actions reportedly taken by the company, including a November 2023 letter requesting an affirmation of its commitments to workers rights after the company removed language describing its respect for workers’ rights to unionize and engage in collective bargaining. This letter was preceded by a joint June 2023 letter with other investors addressing alleged worker rights violations at eBay subsidiary TCGPlayer.

Management’s alleged treatment of employees during unionization efforts continues to raise concerns by Comptrollers Lander and DiNapoli, who both recognize that positive labor relations benefit a company’s culture and are linked to favorable financial outcomes for businesses.

Workers at eBay are encouraged to reach out to the assessor so that the workers’ rights assessment can meaningfully and adequately capture their experiences.