It’s been nearly three weeks since Metro grocery store workers went out on strike at 27 stores in the Greater Toronto Area.

And we’re learning from the grocery giant that Unifor refused a recent request to meet with the bargaining committee.

Metro spokeperson Marie-Claude Bacon says the invitation was extended over the weekend with a proposal to meet as early as this past Sunday or Monday.

But a statement from Unifor Local 414 President Gord Currie says the union is waiting for an acceptable offer from Metro.

It goes on to say in part, “this dispute is about wages and members have watched their wages slowly erode over time, while the company turns out record profits.”

According to Bacon, the tentative agreement the workers turned down included sick days for part time workers, improvements in benefits and pensions and significant wage increases with full time and senior part time employees getting $3.75 more an hour by July of 2026.

Some workers have said they struggle to afford the very food they sell, and many have been calling for their pandemic “hero pay” of $2 an hour to be reinstated.