[Nicholasp27]

lots of people are also laid off when a company downsizes or goes through other layoffs

doesn't change the fact that writers are asking to be compensated for giving up their ownership of the scripts...giving the studio all author rights to the script/show/characters/etc etc...and not being compensated for money made online makes no sense

they have been presented with a new contract to sign by the studios...they have decided they do not wish to sign a contract with the current terms...so they have decided to not sign and wait for a better deal...that is their right...they aren't duty-bound to accept lame deals because otherwise the people on the set will lose their jobs...