When Jackie created problems for Howard and the show it came back to Jackie in the guise of ball busting, usually with Howard taking phone call after phone call after phone call from the fans asking for Jackie's termination and then the sign off of "F Jackie".
Jackie's absences during contract negotiations helped to provide the show with a staff "bad guy" or "fall guy", a title he's never given up to this day.
With Artie's absences, eh....not so much on the ball busting because no one is really sure why he isn't there, or when he was there why he was sleeping through the show.
Perhaps when Artie does finally leave/die some of pent up frustrations, provided there are any, will come out much in the same way they did via Fred unloading on Jackie once he left the show?