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About 60 union members rallied near the Spring Hill Metro station on March 25, urging Gov. Abigail Spanberger to approve legislation that could clear the way for Fairfax County voters to decide whether a casino should be built in Tysons.
The proposed entertainment complex, planned by Comstock Companies for a former auto dealership site, would be anchored by a casino and could also include a hotel, convention center, concert hall, housing, shops and restaurants.
“Fairfax residents deserve to have good jobs,” said Emebet Samuel Kassa of UNITE HERE Local 25, which represents unionized hotel, restaurant and casino workers in the region. She said the project could be “completely transformative” for the area.
The We Are Fairfax Coalition organized the rally as part of a broader campaign pressing Spanberger to sign the bill. The measure would permit a casino in Tysons only if Fairfax County residents approve it through a referendum.
Comstock has agreed to work with unions to create about 2,000 construction jobs and approximately 3,000 service positions once the complex opens.
Maria Zuraya Silva, an electrician of 18 years and member of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 26, said union employment has allowed her and her husband, also a union electrician, to afford to live in Fairfax County.
“Any job can be a good job with the union,” Silva said.
Union carpenter Nelson Aguilar described organized labor as a “path to the middle class,” saying union membership gives workers a voice and protects their rights.
The rally included representatives from numerous construction, hospitality, transportation, education and service-worker unions. Participating organizations included UNITE HERE Local 25, IBEW Local 26, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689, International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 10, LiUNA!, IUPAT DC 51, the Mid-Atlantic Pipe Trades Association, Operating Engineers Locals 77 and 99, the Virginia Building Trades Council, IATSE Local 22, SMART Local 100, the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, the Baltimore DC Building Trades Council, 32BJ SEIU, UFCW Local 400, the Northern Virginia Labor Federation AFL-CIO and the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers.
Spanberger faces three choices
Supporters and opponents have intensified their lobbying since the General Assembly ended its regular 2026 session on March 14.
The legislation, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, would authorize a referendum on casino gambling in Fairfax County. Spanberger can sign the bill, veto it or recommend changes. It did not pass with enough votes to override a veto.
While labor organizations have embraced the project, many civic groups oppose it. Resistance has also grown among some members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, who recently criticized Surovell and other Fairfax legislators who voted for the bill.
Labor organizations outlined their case in a six-page, single-spaced letter submitted to Spanberger by Virginia Diamond, president of the Northern Virginia Labor Federation AFL-CIO.
Diamond argued that Fairfax County voters would support the project after learning more about its potential jobs, revenue and quality-of-life benefits.
Revenue projections fuel the dispute
The proposed complex would cost approximately $1 billion and, under Surovell’s legislation, must encompass at least 1.5 million square feet.
Supporters estimate it could generate nearly $150 million in new annual tax revenue for Fairfax County and between $56 million and $110 million per year for Virginia.
Opponents contend that any additional revenue could come with increased traffic, safety concerns and other effects on residents’ quality of life. A draft study commissioned by Fairfax County last year also projected smaller revenue gains for the county and state than supporters have promoted.
The bill does not formally select the Leesburg Pike property or name Comstock and its partners as the operator. However, its restrictions on where a Fairfax casino could be located make the Comstock site a leading possibility.
If Spanberger signs the measure, the Board of Supervisors would choose a preferred casino operator and order a referendum, leaving Fairfax County voters with the final decision.