Kaiser Permanente, the largest healthcare nonprofit organization in the US, saw more than 75,000 of its workers go on strike Wednesday at hospitals and medical offices in five states in a dispute over staffing levels.
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions has described the work stoppage as the largest strike of healthcare workers in US history, CNBC reported.
The media outlet noted that negotiations between Kaiser executives and workers are ongoing, with the work stoppage expected to last three days.
The strike targets Kaiser hospitals and medical offices in California, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Washington state.
The striking employees include vocational nurses, emergency department technicians, radiology technicians, X-ray technicians, respiratory therapists, medical assistants, pharmacists and hundreds of other positions.
A Kaiser spokesperson stated that the company has contingency plans to ensure patients continue to receive care during a strike and all hospitals and emergency departments will remain open.
Kaiser Permanente treats nearly 13 million patients and operates 39 hospitals and more than 600 medical offices across eight states and the District of Columbia.
The company reported a second-quarter profit of $2 billion, compared with a year-ago loss of $1.2 billion, on $25 billion in revenue.
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