Etsy sellers could be next to form a labor union
Etꦬsy sellers who are boycotting the arts-and-crafts site over fees are now considering forming a union.
A 30% fee hike went into effect at Etsy on April 11, when fed-up sellers began to the💙 platform, arguing that basic fees have more than doubled in less than four years.
The boycott was so successful — with more than 100,000 sellers and supporters signing a petition as of Monday — that the organizers are considering forming a union.
Kristi Cassidy, who spearheaded the boycott, in which sellers put their stores on “vacation mode,” told CNBC that recent organizing efforts at Starbucks stores and an Amazon warehouse on Staꦺten Island inspired sellers to begin mapping out their own plans.
A number of labor groups reached out to her recently, shܫe added.
“The crazy thing is, I didn’t even realize just how many people there were out there that agreed with me,” Cassidy told CNBC. “It’s been this huge, eye-opening experience just to see how much all the other people that are on this platform trying to make a living with me agree and how much my cust♐omers support me.”
Etsy has said the extra revenue from the fee increase will help it beef up its customer support to sellers. Sellers have long complained that Etsy is difficult to communicate with and that their complaints are rarely addressed.
“Etsy has strayed further and further from its foundi⭕ng vision over the years,” according to the boycott petition. “What began as an experiment in marketplace democracy has come to resemble a dictatorial relationship between a faceless tech empi🤪re and millions of exploited, majority-women craftspeople.”
“We take pride in the fact that, while there have never been more options for where to sell, millions choose to rely on Etsy,” Etsy’s Chief Operating Officer, Raina Moskowitz, said in a statement.
“We actively solicit seller feedback and are committed to the productive relationship we have with millions of sellers,” she added. “We work to ensure that sellers’ collective success is a key input for decisions we make and continue striving to deepen the connection with our seller community.”
