Metro Inc. says it's asked a conciliation officer to step in and help it find a resolution to a strike by grocery store workers in Toronto.

The move comes two and a half weeks in to the job action by Metro workers represented by Unifor at 27 stores across the Greater Toronto Area. 

Around 3,700 workers rejected a tentative agreement near the end of July and have been on strike ever since. 

On Tuesday, Metro said Unifor had refused a recent request for the bargaining committees to meet again.

However, the union responded that it was waiting for an acceptable offer from the grocer. 

According to Ontario's Ministry of Labour, either a union or an employer can apply to have a conciliation officer appointed to help them reach a collective agreement. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 17, 2023.