Unions oppose plan to move Washington Wizards, Capitals to Potomac Yard
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Two major unions are coming out against a plan to move the Washington Wizards and Capitals from the District to Alexandria.
In yet another roadblock for the plan to move the teams to Potomac Yard, the Northern Virginia AFL-CIO and Unite Here Local 25 both say they haven't been able to reach labor agreements with developers.
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FOX 5’s Maureen Umeh says Governor Youngkin is weighing in calling out the unions for backtracking on what he said have been good faith negotiations.
A rendering showing the newly proposed entertainment district in Alexandrias Potomac Yard that features an arena for both the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards, and the global business headquarters for Monumental Sports & Entertainment (
"Virginia is a right-to-work state and unreasonable demands from union leaders will not derail this project. I will continue to work with the General Assembly to complete this opportunity and bring $12 billion in economic contributions that will fund shared priorities in Virginia," Youngkin said in a statement.
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The AFL-CIO says it tried to reach a deal with JBG Smith, the real estate developer for the Potomac Yard project and financial advisor J.P. Morgan. They say the agreement would have ensured organized labor is used to build the facility and include job protections.
Umeh says the plan to move the Wizards and Capitals from D.C. to northern Virginia has already been facing opposition with Democratic leaders in the State Senate wanting to push the pause button.