Sarnia firefighters will have to wait at least another two months for a new contract.
Sarnia Professional Firefighters Association President Ken Dwinnell says they and the city presented their arguments to an arbitrator Friday.
He says more information is needed and two more brief exchanges are required, each 30 days apart, after which an award will be issued.
Firefighters have been without a contract since the end of 2016.
Dwinnell has said benefit concessions are the main stumbling block.