CBS has not officially renewed it’s mega hit show, The Big Bang Theory, and now we know why.  Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch, who initially appeared on the show in season 3 before becoming regulars the following season, have not yet signed their contracts, and there’s a good reason.

Though the two actresses reportedly make around $200,000 per episode, this pales in comparison to their co-stars, who currently earn about $1 million per episode. To help the cause, the original cast members, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Johnny Galecki, and Kunal Nayyar have all agreed to take a $100,000 an episode pay cut to put toward the other cast members’ salaries. Over the course of the two-year contract, that would bring Mayim and Melissa’s earnings to $450,000 each per week. While this is an clear improvement, it’s still only half of what the other stars are making. Mayim, who plays Sheldon’s (Jim Parsons) girlfriend Amy, and Melissa, who plays Wolowitz’s (Simon Helberg) wife, Bernadette, have become integral parts of the show.

According to Variety, the network and studio are “optimistic” about coming to an agreement that makes everyone happy.