75,000 Kaiser Permanente Health Care workers strike

Kaiser Permanente led the largest healthcare walkout in the U.S. on Wednesday. 

Healthcare workers from the California-based nonprofit, Kaiser Permanente, walked off the job over disputes regarding wages and a lack of staff. 

Kaiser employees are seeking a $25 minimum hourly wage with annual increases. 

During the strike, Kaiser's 39 hospitals and emergency departments will remain open, but they warn that appointments and non-emergent surgeries could be delayed. 

Kaiser, serving 12.7 million members, with 39 hospitals and 622 medical offices, is regarded as unparalleled "when it comes to providing expert, coordinated care and outstanding service," as they stated in their September 18 News Wire.

However, despite their patient record, studies are showing that as a result of COVID-19, healthcare workers are worn and burn out is highly likely.

According to a January 2021 study, published in the National Library of Medicine, a cross section study shows that among 939 healthcare workers, 60.2% showed signs and symptoms of anxiety while 77.6% of participants showed depression. 

The study finds that, "Increased workload, burnout, inadequate PPE, the risk of contracting the disease, and the challenge of making difficult moral decisions about care priorities during the pandemic have exposed healthcare workers to severe psychological pressures leading to mental disorders such as anxiety and depression."

John August, former executive director of the Coalition of the Kaiser Permanente Unions, says Kaiser's employees are "very proud" of their work, according to CNN. 

“Because you have such a loyal workforce who feels that they have to take this step, it’s a very significant moment,” he said of the strike.

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