Politicians in Windsor and Essex County slammed the provincial government at a joint meeting Wednesday night for not delivering on a plan to boost local employment.

They want a meeting with their provincial counterparts. Local and provincial politicians had twice scheduled a special meeting to discuss unemployment. Both were later cancelled, because local MPPs couldn't attend.

With Windsor maintaining the highest unemployment rate in the country at 14.9 per cent, according to Statistics Canada, city councillor Bill Marra calls the province's delay "abysmal."

"I hear people talk about alternative energy," said Marra. "I hear people talk about transportation, the alternative automobile market. I hear health sciences.

"We don't have a definitive plan in place that establishes these themes and creates some direction and focus, and that's my primary concern. Eight months to have a meeting? That's embarrassing."

Lakeshore mayor Tom Bain said he doesn't understand the "holdup, and he's getting frustrated with it.

"We set a go, it's a go, then we cancel. We set a date, it's a go, then we cancel it. Let's set a date and go! These are jobs we're dilly-dallying about."