Prince George’s officials backed labor deal for the Sphere, but something shifted

Before the June primary, eight Prince George’s County elected officials said they supported requiring a union agreement for the proposed Sphere at National Harbor.

But as the county moves closer to a deal that could involve hundreds of millions of dollars in public financing for the $1.4 billion project, that support is being tested.

Sphere executives have said they will not enter into a project labor agreement, or PLA, for the National Harbor venue. The county executive’s administration has also raised concerns that requiring a PLA could make it harder for Prince George’s County residents and local businesses to work on the project.

The Sphere did not respond to The Banner’s requests for additional comment.

Yet Brian Fischer, a spokesperson for County Executive Aisha Braveboy, told The Banner Thursday that the county executive’s position remains unchanged.

The questionnaire responses, which The Banner obtained on Thursday, were collected privately ahead of the primary election as part of the Metropolitan Washington Council AFL-CIO’s endorsement process. They offer a previously unavailable look at what county officials told organized labor they supported before the election — and raise questions about how that support could shape the county’s negotiations with Sphere.

Samuel Epps, president of the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO, said the group knew a major development was coming to Prince George’s County and wanted to establish labor standards before the project moved forward.

“There would be skilled labor and community benefits that should be needed from [the county] and that workers should be able to benefit from a deal with the county giving a TIF to a billion-dollar corporation,” Epps said.

The coalition’s questionnaire asked candidates four questions about the Sphere and broader labor standards. All eight officials — Braveboy and the seven County Council members seeking reelection — said they supported a PLA and a labor peace agreement for the Sphere’s construction.

They also backed PLAs and prevailing-wage requirements on future county projects and said labor peace should be required for new hotels and grocery stores.

A PLA is an agreement negotiated before construction that can set rules for wages, benefits, hiring, apprenticeships and other working conditions. A labor peace agreement is a deal in which the company and the union agree not to disrupt operations during a union organizing campaign.

Braveboy described herself as a “strong supporter of PLAs,” saying they ensure that major construction projects are completed by professional and skilled workers.

Council members Krystal Oriadha, Jolene Ivey, Eric Olson, Tim Adams, Shayla Adams-Stafford, Danielle Hunter and Wanika Fisher also answered yes to all four questions.

Still, the county’s negotiations with Sphere have since exposed a divide over whether that support will translate into a formal requirement for the project.

At a Sept. 21 council hearing, a Sphere executive said the company doesn’t plan to enter into a PLA or require its subcontractors to change their labor practices to create a unionized workforce.

That has frustrated organized labor.

Epps said the coalition has spent months trying to negotiate labor standards with companies involved in major development projects, including recent agreements involving the new Washington Commanders stadium. He said the county should use its leverage as it considers providing up to $215 million in bonds for Sphere and related infrastructure.

“If [council members’ support] was the case, there would be PLAs completed,” Epps said.

The Braveboy administration has raised a different concern: whether a PLA could make it harder for local businesses and workers to participate.

Tracy Benjamin, the county’s deputy chief administrative officer for economic development, said at the Sept. 21 hearing that many businesses participating in the county’s minority business enterprise program are not unionized. Requiring a PLA, she said, could limit the number of Prince George’s County residents able to work on the project.

Terriea Smalls, business manager for Plumbers & Gasfitters Local Union 5, disputed the idea that a PLA would necessarily exclude local workers or businesses.

Smalls pointed to National Harbor’s original development, which he said was built under a negotiated PLA and gave apprentices time to nearly complete their training while helping workers build careers and businesses.

“Project labor agreements and using skilled union labor has proven over and over and over to be safer, more efficient, on time, and on budget,” Smalls said.

He said Sphere could similarly provide more than short-term construction jobs by creating training opportunities and career paths for county workers.

Sphere estimates the project would create about 4,150 construction jobs and nearly 8,000 full- and part-time jobs once the venue opens.

Some council members, led by Oriadha, have continued to press Sphere on labor despite the company’s position.

Ivey told The Banner she still supports PLAs but is taking a more cautious position on the Sphere.

“This specific project is in a delicate posture, and I’m supporting the [county executive] and her negotiations with Sphere,” Ivey said, adding that Braveboy values the county’s labor unions and is working to address their concerns.

For Epps, the question is whether that support will result in a written agreement before the county commits public resources to the project.

He said the coalition wants workers, apprentices and local communities to have a meaningful stake in the development — not simply jobs once the building opens.

“This is just not about an economic development project or a new building or a new shiny object at National Harbor,” Epps said. “This is an opportunity.”

The County Council is continuing to review the financing package and negotiations over the project. A final vote is expected in October after additional committee review.