Striking B.C. public service workers expand pickets again to more liquor stores

More public service workers in British Columbia are off the job as the union increases pressure to get a new contract.

The B.C. General Employees’ Union says it has added 48 work sites to the picket list, with another 2,600 workers taking part in strike action.

The additional pickets are at 18 provincial liquor and cannabis retail stores as well as about 30 B.C. offices for natural resources and land-use permits.

The union says there are about 25,000 public service workers participating in job action out of a total of 34,000 members.

There were brief talks last week, but the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement, with workers demanding higher wages to address cost-of-living concerns and the government trying to find a deal amid fiscal constraints.

The B.C. deficit is forecast as a record $11.6 billion, and Finance Minister Brenda Bailey has said the deal must be fair to both workers and taxpayers.