Nurses at hospitals in Windsor, Chatham, and London are taking part in a province-wide campaign demanding respect in the workplace.
They join thousands of other nurses, personal support workers, porters, dietary, administrative, and trades staff across Ontario Wednesday in an escalating campaign to push Ontario hospitals back to the bargaining table.
At the end of March, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Service Employees International Union, and Unifor formed an alliance after they say hospitals demanded significant concessions and refused to address the issue of workplace violence.
About 75,000 workers are participating by wearing stickers on their uniforms that read "Together for Respect".
Wednesday's action is the first of several events planned for the coming weeks.
Television and radio ads started running on Monday. The ads are not related to a recent campaign launched by the Ontario Nurses Association to raise public awareness of violence faced by the workers in the health sector.
Next Wednesday, rallies will be held at hospitals across the province to demonstrate nurses solidarity in securing a contract that meets their needs.