VANCOUVER — Hundreds of British Columbia public sector workers marched through downtown Vancouver Wednesday in a push for a new contract, after talks with government negotiators broke down shortly after they had resumed earlier this week.

Paul Finch, president of the BC General Employees’ Union, told the crowd the union “didn’t set out to pick a fight” with the government.

Rather, he said it listened to the experiences and concerns of its workers and brought them forward at the bargaining table.

“We told them of a reality of wildfire fighters making $28 an hour, forced to work endless overtime without seeing their families over the summer, just to make enough money to get by,” he said, drawing boos from the crowd.

Finch said union negotiators had returned to the bargaining table on Mon

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