Few events would team Ben Stiller and Alicia Keys with members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Yet the Hollywood writers strike, now in its fourth week, has done just that, with union officials joining actors and musicians on picket lines to back the writers’ call for a better pay deal.

Late-night talk shows have been cancelled, while television networks have only a few episodes left of top-rated dramas before they have to run repeats. The 10th Democratic presidential debate was abruptly cancelled amid concerns that candidates would refuse to cross a picket manned by CBS news writers.