The union that represents hospital and other health care workers is raising the issue of violence against their members.
CUPE has done a survey that has found some startling responses.
Almost 70% of Registered Practical Nurses and Personal Support Workers said they had been seriously assaulted in the past year and one in five had been assaulted more than nine times. The survey also found 42% had been sexually assaulted once in the past year.
Scott Sharp worked at Guelph General where he was attacked by a drug addled mental patient almost three years ago.
He had spinal surgery, was in hospital for three months and can still barely walk and can't work. Sharp says the WSIB support failed him and destroyed his home life.
"The bills are piling up and we ended up being evicted from our home," says Sharp. "With four children, it's a case where I think that hurt me more than my spine."
Injured hospital worker Scott Sharp still has trouble walking nearly 3 years after being assaulted on the job. #cklw pic.twitter.com/kWDQBvLr2N
— Peter Langille (@PLangille800) November 8, 2017
Sharp says there isn't enough help for people injured on the job and that the structure in place for workers that are injured on the job is broken.
Ontario Council of Hospital Unions President Michael Hurley says injured workers face a culture of oppression with 48% saying they're afraid to report incidents for fear of reprisal.
CUPE and the OCHU are calling for upgraded security at hospitals and other health care facilities like long term care homes.
Sharp and Hurley are touring the province with a stop in Windsor today. They're also calling for a fix to the WSIB system that refuses to cover many drugs injured workers are prescribed.