Employees of a Leamington retirement home held an information rally Wednesday afternoon after the company asked for an arbitrator during negotiations.
The 40 employees at the Chartwell Leamington Retirement Residence have been without a contract for over a year.
Unifor Local 2458 President Tullio Diponti indicated everyone was caught off guard when the company decided to push for arbitration.
"We have an agreement with Oak Park LaSalle, it's the same company why are they trying to get us to arbitration," said Diponti.
The union reached a tentative agreement with Oak Park LaSalle around two weeks ago. Members will vote on the contract next week.
Diponti said his members in Leamington are looking for a similar agreement.
"These workers, more than half, are just making above minimum wage. All we're looking for is for a wage increase that they can go out there and feed their own family, take care of their own family," said Diponti.
There's no word on when the two sides will meet with an arbitrator.
"By us going to arbitration all it does is prolong the situation where we don't have a collective agreement, cost both sides money and the company could use that money to put in their building to help out the residents," said Diponti.