BELLINGHAM, WA – A historic healthcare strike spanning several states, including Washington, was set to end this morning.

Around 75,000 union workers at Kaiser Permanente went on strike Wednesday, citing low wages and severe understaffing.

Unions representing Kaiser workers in August asked for a $25 hourly minimum wage in addition to yearly increases.

Kaiser said it has hired 10,000 more workers and proposed minimum wages between $21 and $23 per hour, according to a statement released Wednesday.

Negotiations have since hit a stalemate, though more meetings have been scheduled for October 12th and 13th.

The strikes have not impacted Kaiser Permanente Washington, only a small number of union employees in southwest Washington that are part of a separate branch.

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