From The Banner · Jack Hogan · · 2m
Prince George’s Council pushes Sphere funding without labor resolution
Prince George’s County Council advances Sphere funding bills despite labor disputes.
In brief
Prince George’s County Council advances Sphere funding bills despite labor disputes. Prince George’s County Council approved $215 million in bonds for Sphere at National Harbor without resolving labor demands, delaying decisions until after the election. Originally reported by The Banner.
Prince George’s Council advances Sphere funding
Prince George’s County Council is hoping to win concessions from Sphere Entertainment while it still can.
Labor demands remain unresolved
Labor involvement has proven to be a sticking point, and the matter remained unresolved Tuesday.
Council members support project labor agreements
In questionnaires completed ahead of the June primary, Oriadha and six other council members up for reelection said they supported project labor agreements for the Sphere project.
Negotiations move away from project labor agreements
Oriadha said negotiations have 'moved away from' a project labor agreement, which Sphere executives have roundly rejected.
Council delays vote to negotiate further
The council delayed a key committee vote for more than six hours Tuesday before convening to notify the public it would vote to advance legislation to the full council but forgo decisions about substantive changes until next week.
County executive promotes labor peace agreement
County Executive Aisha Braveboy said during an evening news conference that her administration and Sphere had agreed the project would include a 'labor peace agreement,' a contract in which an employer agrees not to interfere in union organizing and a union agrees not to picket, protest or otherwise disrupt business.
Union leaders reject labor peace agreement
Paul Schwalb, executive secretary-treasurer with UNITE HERE Local 25, said Braveboy is 'talking to some Trump-affiliated billionaires in New York about a labor peace agreement. She’s not talking to us.'
Sphere claims union-friendly status
Company representatives have said more than 97% of the tradespeople employed during construction of Sphere Las Vegas were union workers and 45% of its 3,000 full- and part-time employees are union members.
Local contractors demand binding commitments
Greg Akerman, president of the Baltimore-D.C. Metro Building Trades Council, said labor groups are looking for Sphere to agree to binding commitments as part of the public financing for the project.
The main idea
Prince George’s County Council approved $215 million in bonds for Sphere at National Harbor without resolving labor demands, delaying decisions until after the election.
