It doesn't matter. In the end, regardless of new MEC directives, it's Pat, likely sitting across from the very same company negotiators as before. The same negotiators that he likely has a rapport with; the same negotiators that knows his children's names, his wife's hobbies, and perhaps have been out to grab a drink or bite to eat with, even maybe played golf with. They know each other too well; when they last left, they were in agreement that the company just couldn't budge any more, there was no more juice to squeeze. Now we send Pat back, and he sits across the table from the very same faces a few months ago, asking for more juice, a bigger pie. What do those negotiators say to Pat, who they already told that there was absolutely no more juice left to squeeze? What can you say to someone you have too much rapport with already?

The answer is, you absolutely must put a new, fresh face across from the company negotiators. Rapport is NOT your friend here during round two of negotiations if you're looking for something different. And we need something very different from what we got last time around.