Conciliation is scheduled for late February as nurses at the Windsor-Essex County Public Health Unit try to avoid a strike.
The 80 members of the Ontario Nurses Association have been without a contract since March 31, 2018.
Conciliation talks took place February 1 and a second date has been scheduled for February 28.
They will be in a legal strike position is March 8.
The union points out the 'pay disparity between male-dominated professions like police and fire and the female-dominated nursing profession is enormous and growing, clearly making the dispute a gender-based issue.'
The nurses provide services such as chronic disease and injury prevention, infectious disease monitoring, maternal health and families programs as well as the school vaccination program.
ONA President Vicki McKenna says the nurses do not want to be forced out on strike and leave their community at risk.