Two unions representing British Columbia professionals and public service workers escalated their weeks-long job action on Thursday to include about 26,000 staff across more than 20 ministries and provincial Crown corporations and agencies.

The Professional Employees Association, whose members include engineers, foresters and geoscientists, said more than 1,000 staff from the health, mining, transportation, resource stewardship and attorney general ministries are on strike.

The association had previously joined job action by the BC General Employees' Union in its dispute with the province by picketing a number of government offices.

The BCGEU also escalated its job action Thursday to include about 25,000 public service workers across 475 work sites.

The union said 19 ministries and B

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