All B.C. government liquor, cannabis stores now behind workers' pickets

All remaining British Columbia-run liquor and cannabis stores in the province are now behind picket lines as public service workers step up union job action. The escalation by the BC General Employees' Union also includes all Service BC workers, raising the total number of members participating in job action to almost 25,000.

Private liquor and cannabis stores in B.C. remain open, but they are supplied by provincial government distribution warehouses that are also behind picket lines.

Service BC provides residents with services related to drivers licensing, income and disability assistance, hunting and fishing licenses, identification verification and payments for B.C. traffic tickets, as well as student loans and court fines.

The union says a total of 431 provincial government work sites are now behind picket lines as the weeks-long labour dispute persists.

Union members rallied outside the B.C. legislature on Monday, the first day for the government's fall session, as they push for higher compensation, while the province says it is looking to balance a fair deal with its existing fiscal constraints.