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B.C. public sector union says it’s ending job action amid hope for deal

British Columbia’s largest public-sector union says it is standing down from two weeks of limited job action as hopes rise for a deal with the government after contract talks resumed.

A statement from the B.C. General Employees’ Union says its bargaining committee returned to the bargaining table with the province’s public service agency last Thursday and they’ve made “significant progress” towards a tentative agreement.

The bargaining committee says it decided to end the job action as a sign of good faith.

The union, which represents about 33,000 workers across the province, says a ban on overtime imposed last Monday has ended and preparations are underway to end picket lines at BC Liquor Distribution Branch locations.

The union began limited job action on Aug. 15, with pickets outside distribution centres in Delta, Richmond and Kamloops along with the wholesale customer centre in Victoria, prompting the province to ration the quantity of certain alcohol products people could buy in a single transaction.

Liquor retailers have said supply of some products is running dry, while some cannabis stores that also get stock through the Liquor Distribution Branch have been shutting down.