Stephen Amell has said that he does not support the SAG-AFTRA strike that has been going on for a few weeks. The Arrow star claimed that striking is a “reductive tactic” in the union’s talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) as SAG-AFTRA members go to the picket lines in pursuit of fair compensation and improved residuals in the new digital age.
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“I support my union, I do, and I stand with them, but I do not support striking, I don’t,” he said during an appearance at Galaxycon in Raleigh, NC. “I think it is a reductive negotiating tactic, and I find the entire thing incredibly frustrating. And I think the thinking as it pertains to shows like the show that I’m on [Heels], that premiered last night, I think it’s myopic.”
With over half of eligible members voting, nearly 98% of SAG-AFTRA members voted in favor of giving the union’s leadership the go-ahead to strike in June. On July 13, a strike was declared.
Along with the thousands of people who have shown up on picket lines throughout Los Angeles and New York, A-list celebrities such George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Jessica Chastain are among those who have openly supported the strike.
The Arrow star was subject to criticism and trolling on social media over his opinion on the strikes over fair wages.
When the strike was called, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher explained the union was disappointed things got to this point with the AMPTP.
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“We are the victims here,” she said in a powerful speech at the time. “We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people we have been in business with are treating us. I cannot believe it, quite frankly, how far apart we are on so many things. How they plead poverty, that they’re losing money left and right while giving millions to CEOs. It’s disgusting, shame on them.”
