B.C. public workers expand pickets again to more liquor, cannabis retail stores

Striking public service workers in British Columbia have expanded pickets at provincial liquor and cannabis stores again, adding 20 more locations to the list.

The B.C. General Employees’ Union says the escalation also includes job action by front-line staff at several ministry offices.

It says more than 17,000 public service workers are now taking job action across the province, which is half the 34,000 workers represented by the union.

Union president Paul Finch says in a statement that every day the government delays, pressure on public services will grow, and it will continue to step up its job action until the government comes back to bargaining table with a fair wage offer.

Finch has said his members will be outside the legislature on Monday just as the fall session begins and the union enters its sixth week of job action.

Talks on Monday broke down not long after they started, with the union saying the new provincial offer had few meaningful changes, while the government said it is trying to balance a fair deal with B.C.'s constrained fiscal situation.