NY Governor Hochul Joins WGA and SAG-AFTRA Picket Lines in Surprise Rally

On the 128th day of the Writer's Guild of America (WGA) strike and the 55th day of the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike, New York Governor Kathy Hochul made a surprise visit. The governor decided at the very last minute to rally alongside the striking writers and actors outside of Netflix's Manhattan offices. With the presence of her aides, security officers, and fellow union leaders such as SAG-AFTRA president Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, Governor Hochul marched and mingled with the protesters for about 10 minutes, adding an unexpected turn to the day's picketing.

However, the Governor did not address the rally openly. Before leaving, she spoke with a group of union leaders, encouraging them with impactful words such as "stay strong" and "you're fighting the right fight". Before leaving the scene in her SUV, she accepted a SAG-AFTRA T-shirt from Oscar-winning actor F. Murray Abraham.

The picketing also saw appearances from actors including Kevin Bacon, Mike Doyle, Michael Cyril Creighton who joined the crowd of marchers outside Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery offices. Governor Hochul, in a full pantsuit and sunglasses, joined the picket shortly before noon following a path cleared by her bodyguards and aides. Greeted by SAG-AFTRA senior officers, president Ezra Knight, and executive director Rebecca Damon, Hochul's presence came as a boost to the already high-strung event.

In the opinion section of this narrative, let's pivot to another part of Strikeland. One thing about a protest that must be relished - or endured - is spontaneity. Even in a highly premeditate town like Hollywood. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul demonstrated that quite well with her handy work at the WGA and SAG-AFTRA picket lines outside Netflix offices. This surprise drifted in like a fresh breeze (or perhaps a gale, depending on which union officer you ask), her timely solidarity with the striking workers adding a vibrant color to the otherwise monotonous tableau of picketing.

On the funnier side of things, isn't it just quaint how Abraham nonchalantly handed off a union T-shirt to the governor, as if sliding in a piece of political merchandise right in the middle of an important picket line feeding the relentless news cycle? Let's just hope it was the right size.

Moving on past the scathing heat, the police and the shouts, let's drop a hat to SAG-AFTRA's Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, who squeezed in this momentous gathering in between flying over to the Toronto International Film Festival. His comments about the Governor's visit driving morale speaks volumes about the weight an active political figure can throw about in such situations.

But that's not to say there aren't naysayers. Take Bill Maher, for instance, with his recent criticisms of the writer's strike as ‘kooky,’ entitled, and politically maximalist. The way he pits the strikers as either freedom fighters or Trump loyalists amuses as much as it bemuses.

However, as Josh Gondleman rightly points out, Maher's ranting points more towards the fault of the studios than the writers. And maybe, just maybe, in Maher's flurry of words and heated debates, that's where the truth of this whole situation lies: in the standoff, not between people, but between the ideals they represent.

In this oddly captivating tussle between corporate interest and the creativity that fuels it, perhaps the only thing anyone can hope for is - to borrow Gov. Hochul's words - to "bring it home." Whatever that home might look like, both sides have got a grueling path ahead. Anything can happen in Hollywood, after all.