ABOVE: A rendering of the proposed National Harbor Sphere shows its size relative to the existing MGM National Harbor building. Photo: Peterson Companies/Sphere Entertainment Co.,
Building trades leaders and other union representatives testified before the Prince George’s County Council yesterday, calling on councilmembers to require a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) on the proposed National Harbor Sphere development project.
The testimony occurred just before the council voted 8-0 to approve a resolution creating the National Harbor Extraordinary Development District. While the vote was a procedural step to establish a financing framework and special fund for the site, it signaled the county’s support for moving forward with the project.
“These labor agreements are essential to ensure that jobs created by this project are quality, family-supporting jobs for county residents.”
– Victoria Leonard, Baltimore-DC Metro Building Trades Council
“These labor agreements are essential to ensure that jobs created by this project are quality, family-supporting jobs for county residents.”
– Victoria Leonard, Baltimore-DC Metro Building Trades Council
Victoria Leonard testifies on behalf of the Baltimore-DC Building Trades Council at the July 27 Prince George’s County Council meeting.
Labor testimony urged the council to use its legislative leverage to ensure that the project translates into high-quality, local careers by bringing the developers to the negotiating table before final financial approvals are granted.
“These labor agreements are essential to ensure that jobs created by this project are quality, family-supporting jobs for county residents,” said Victoria Leonard, testifying on behalf of the Baltimore-DC Metro Building Trades Council.
Leonard noted that the Sphere Entertainment Company already operates under union agreements in New York and Las Vegas and is familiar with and accustomed to PLAs.
The project is a proposed $1 billion entertainment venue designed as a smaller sibling to the famous Las Vegas Sphere. The National Harbor version is slated to stand 302 feet tall — roughly double the height of the nearby MGM National Harbor building — and will feature a seating capacity of approximately 6,000 people. The development is planned for a 14-acre site just north of the MGM, with a construction timeline estimated at three years.
“The Sphere sat down and negotiated labor peace agreements with our union in Vegas. There is no reason why they should not do the same thing here.”
– UNITE HERE Local 25 Political Director Sam Stern
“The Sphere sat down and negotiated labor peace agreements with our union in Vegas. There is no reason why they should not do the same thing here..”
– UNITE HERE Local 25 Political Director Sam Stern
UNITE HERE Local 25 Political Director Sam Stern testifies at the July 27 Prince George’s County Council meeting.
“Our union represents tens of thousands of workers in Las Vegas, where the first Sphere was opened,” testified UNITE HERE Local 25 Political Director Sam Stern. “And the Sphere sat down and negotiated labor peace agreements with our union in Vegas. There is no reason why they should not do the same thing here.”
Council Chair Krystal Oriadha expressed her alignment with labor’s concerns during the hearing and following the vote.
“It’s really important to us to have the PLA for accountability,” Oriadha told WTOP News. “For me, that’s what I’m looking for.”
Other council members, including Tom Dernoga, went further, stating he would not support future aspects of the project until he was certain “labor is satisfied.”
Labor representatives testified that the project should serve as a catalyst for local hiring and provide clear career pathways for area residents. They emphasized that a PLA would create opportunities for apprentices, enabling more residents to learn skilled trades while earning family-sustaining wages. By prioritizing the local workforce, they said, the Sphere can become a model for inclusive economic development rather than just a commercial attraction.
“At the end of the day,” Baltimore-DC Metro Building Trades Council President Greg Akeman told NBC Washington, “Project Labor Agreements are the only real way to ensure that local Prince George’s County residents don’t just get good, one-time jobs on this project, but get long-lasting careers that can start with a good union apprenticeship.”
“The Prince George’s County Sphere project should include a Project Labor Agreement to ensure this historic development delivers lasting economic benefits to the residents of Prince George’s County.”
– Roxy Mejia, Painters and Allied Trades
“The Prince George’s County Sphere project should include a Project Labor Agreement to ensure this historic development delivers lasting economic benefits to the residents of Prince George’s County.”
– Roxy Mejia, Painters and Allied Trades
Roxy Mejia testifies on behalf of the Painters and Allied Trades at the July 27 Prince George’s County Council meeting.
To support the Sphere development, the county is considering an incentive package worth approximately $200 million, which includes a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) plan borrowed against the future taxes the Sphere is projected to generate.
In her testimony, Leonard urged the council “to decline to consider the anticipated TIF legislation until labor agreements are signed with each of our unions.”
Roxy Mejia of the Painters and Allied Trades urged county leaders to act decisively, adding that the project should leave a “legacy that extends beyond the building itself” by fostering workforce excellence for generations to come.
“The Prince George’s County Sphere project,” said Mejia, “should include a Project Labor Agreement to ensure this historic development delivers lasting economic benefits to the residents of Prince George’s County.”