With professional wrestlers set to entertain fans Wednesday night at South Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena, the local stagehands union said the show’s organizers were taking a heel turn when it came to paying their workers.

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 8 held a public awareness campaign outside the indoor arena, which happens to be across the street from IATSE’s local union hall on South Swanson Street.

Union local president Michael Barnes said the event producer, All Elite Wrestling, along with the arena, would not agree to pay “area standard” wages to the 50 people it brought in to run the lights, cameras, and other elements for the venue.

“The purpose of this is to raise awareness, not to ruin anybody’s time tonight,” Barnes said. He encouraged wrestling fans to support IATSE’s social media initiatives and sign a petition telling AEW to pay the area standard.

Other event producers that used 2300 Arena in recent years, such as World Wrestling Entertainment and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, have established agreements with IATSE to pay that rate — about $40 per hour for a journeyman, plus benefits — according to Barnes.

Often, these jobs go to local workers, Barnes said. But AEW has brought in staff from South Carolina, Florida, and Mississippi, and is classifying some of them as contractors to avoid paying benefits, he said.

“So we’re informing the public through picketing and handbilling that the area standard is being undermined,” he said.

AEW spokesperson Adam Hopkins said the labor dispute really should be between the union and the event venue, the 2300 Arena.

“All Elite Wrestling has paid, and will continue to pay, the prevailing wages to all locals used as part of our residency at the venue and has maintained a great relationship with IATSE Local 8 for previous events held at other venues in Philadelphia,” Hopkins said.

Standing outside the 2300 Arena, Roger Artigiani said he has run wrestling events there for two decades.

He said events like this don’t come up often, and it would not be financially viable for him to follow the union’s requests.

He said the venue does not make that much money from these events, adding: “This isn’t the Wells Fargo Center.”

He said it would put him out of business to have to pay staff union wages.

“To me, I don’t like bullies,” he said. “And that’s all they’re doing.”

A raucous scene

Last year, AEW signed a broadcasting contract with Warner Bros. Discovery estimated to be worth $550 million, according to a Sports Illustrated report.

Outside the arena Wednesday evening, a message on a union speaker said AEW’s success has not paid off for its employees.

At the rally, cars circled the block, blaring their horns as union members cheered. An inflatable Scabby the Rat cast a portly shadow over the wrestling fans lined up outside, while IATSE’s speakers blasted Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.”

“Tell him to turn it up — we love that song!” shouted Chris Weinerman, a 37-year-old HVAC technician from New Jersey, who brought his son to the event. He explained that the song had been the walk-up music for the Sandman, an ECW wrestler Weinerman once saw in that very arena.

Weinerman said he’s not against unions, but he thinks IATSE’s effort is wrongheaded.

“They think their issues are more important than everyone who took time off work, paid for tickets to come here,” Weinerman said.

William Armstrong, a 31-year-old from Bensalem, was more open to it.

“It’s their right to protest,” Armstrong said. But he was not sure what the solution was.

“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s kind of above my pay grade.”

He was not the only one. Contacted by phone, one of AEW’s top-billed stars scheduled to appear at the event, “Hangman” Adam Page, said he would need a bit more detail before he could weigh in on the matter.

“I will be quite honest,” said the wrestler, whose real name is Stephen Woltz. “I don’t feel quite educated enough to talk about it.”