Extending the CBA was a predictable expense that would not have really changed the bottom line back to WB significantly and definitely not BH profits. Short and simple, they got greedy.
What is happening now was controllable by people that should have known better. A very profitable company, in actual dollars back to BH (not to mention to soft money passing one pocket to the other), makes for an unfavorable bargaining climate for the Company. The more the economy improves, especially for the wealthiest of the world, the more the concessions fall on deaf ears.
It is all actually somewhat entertaining to watch. Leadership has sufficiently ticked off all the employee groups, unionized or not, so the call to arms against the big bad NUC is getting nowhere. It is an impossible sell to get employees to agree to take cuts all the while, desiring more profits to BH.
BH is making money hand over fist, all the while poking a stick in the eye of the working class in America as smart BH people find Duracell loopholes in the tax laws so BH can avoid paying taxes. At the end of the day BH investors make massive returns and the rest of us just want to be treated with respect and compensated appropriately for the product we deliver.
As a good benchmark, about 4 years ago, NJASAP bought one share of BRK.A for around $115K. Today that share is worth $218K. BH does not need more from NJ employees.
Don't underestimate Jordan's desire to make a name for himself and look good to Warren. This is a guy whose first career plan was to go into politics. He views NJ as a stepping stone in his career and would love to 'solve the union problem' at NJ so that he can put that line on his resume. He is not focused on what is best for NJ, but rather what is best for JH.