Tens of thousands of healthcare workers strike across U.S. West Coast

Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers went on strike Tuesday morning across the U.S. West Coast to demand better wages and staffing from the healthcare giant.

The walkout impacts over 500 hospitals and medical facilities, mainly in California and Hawaii, including several in the Los Angeles area, according to local media reports.

The five-day strike started at 7 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday and is set to conclude at 7 a.m. Sunday, according to a post on Kaiser Permanente's official website.

The action represents the biggest strike in the 50-year history of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals, which advocates for the workers.

"Kaiser employees are launching a 5-day strike against Kaiser Permanente – not because they want to, but because they have to," the union said in a media release. The strike aims to secure safe staffing, fair pay, and protect patient care, according to the statement.

Kaiser Permanente stated that the strike is "unnecessary and disruptive," asserting that the company is still committed to reaching an agreement that balances fair pay with high-quality, affordable care.

Kaiser Permanente, based in Oakland, California, is one of the largest not-for-profit health plans in the United States. It mainly serves the western region, with 12.6 million members, 600 medical offices, and 40 hospitals.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover: A sign for healthcare company Kaiser Permanente outside the company's San Ramon, California medical center. /VCG)