RENTON, WA. – About 75,000 healthcare workers in Washington and several other states walked off the job on Wednesday, October 4th, in the biggest healthcare strike in US history.

The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions approved a three-day strike in parts of Washington, California, Colorado and Oregon, and for one day in Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Union members say understaffing is boosting the hospital system’s profits but hurting patients, and that executives have been bargaining in bad faith during negotiations.

Kaiser Permanente Washington says the strike will not impact them and none of their workers will be walking off the job.

Only a small number of union employees in southwest Washington that are part of a separate Oregon-based branch are on strike.

Kaiser Permanente serves nearly 13 million people as one of the larger insurers and health care system operators in the country.

The company says its 39 hospitals will remain open during the picketing, though appointments and non-urgent procedures could be delayed.