The weather was drizzly and dreary, but the spirit of an estimated 2,000 striking B.C. Government Employees Union members was upbeat in a noon-hour rally and march in downtown Vancouver on Wednesday.

The union handed out bright yellow rain ponchos and yellow BCGEU flags to wave along the march, which started at the Georgia Street side of the Vancouver Art Gallery, went up Burrard and West Cordova and ended up at Jack Poole Plaza beside the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre.

Before the march, the union president said, "We want to send a clear message to government that they need to come back to the table with a fair offer, a reasonable offer.

"They have choices here," Paul Finch said. "They're not going to balance the budget off of wage suppression of the civil service. They've massively increased the excluded management bureaucracy over the last decade, at a ratio of almost two to one to the front-line services, on a percentage basis. That's ridiculous."

Many marchers declined to speak to the media. But those that did said it was important they get a fair deal from the government -- and that it was hard to go on strike.

"It's really draining emotionally and physically, and also stressful to be to be here not knowing what will happen for us," said Beatrice Savoie.

"A lot of people struggle, and that's why we're here to ask for fair wages. Some people have two (jobs). It's very, very difficult, that's why we're here to ask for fair wages."

Willow Yamauchi has worked for the provincial government for three decades.

"This is my 31st year, and I've never faced this before, and it's disheartening," she said.

"But also seeing everyone come together like this, it's absolutely beautiful and amazing. These are tough and scary times we're having, but with solidarity. ... I mean, look at this turnout."

To show how she felt about the government's approach to the dispute, she wore a sign reading "this is the last straw." To illustrate it, she carried a big handmade straw she'd fashioned from cardboard and leftover plumbing.

Dennis Anthony said the "cost of living is a really important" in a wage settlement. But "it's not only about pay, it's about the other stuff too, resolving disputes and that sort of thing."

The energy of the march was set by Tristan Wybou, who led the marchers in front of a banner proclaiming "Fund the frontlines."

He got so into it his voice was cracking as he chanted time-tested labour slogans like "the workers united will never be defeated" and "when I say union, you say power."

Wybou's chants were punctuated by a six piece marching drum band, Rhythm Rebellion.

This was not your grandparents' labour march. After making it to Jack Poole Plaza, a folk group performed for a bit and then gave way to loud taped music from hard rockin' bands like Nickelback and Rage Against The Machine.

Several unions sent flag-waving members to support the BCGEU, including the Professional Employees Union and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, which are also on strike. Many other public sector unions (the B.C. Teachers Federation, the B.C. Nurses' Union and the Hospital Employees Union) were also on hand.