Two actors from “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” were temporarily fired recently because CBS officials believed they were holding out for more money.

Wisdom eventually triumphed, and Jorja Fox and George Eads are returning to the show — but reportedly without any pay raises. Eads said he wasn’t really staging a holdout, but had simply overslept.
Uh, OK.

In any case, employees can learn a lot by contrasting what happened to them with what happened a year ago on “Everybody Loves Raymond,” when Brad Garrett held out for more money — and got it.

On his show, Garrett is more of a “brand name” than Fox or Eads are on theirs. All play crucial roles, but his has more leverage.

Although Ray Romano is obviously the star of “Raymond,” Garrett is among several actors who get a chance to shine. He has ended up with two Emmy Awards and even received an Emmy nomination for starring in a TV biography of Jackie Gleason. His character would be hard to replace or write out of the script.

Fox and Eads work for an even more popular show, but it focuses more on the criminal drama than on the characters. “CSI” could lose Fox or Eads or even William L. Petersen and still might thrive.

Even a show that had beloved characters like “MASH” was able to do well after most of its original cast members left (although losing Alan Alda might have killed it). The war was the star in “MASH,” just as the crime lab is the star in “CSI.”

Companies want team players, but stars still have the most negotiating leverage. If you’re a team player who wants a raise, your boss might say the same thing CBS executives did to the CSI folks: “Over my dead body.”