PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) - Thousands of health care professionals at Kaiser Permanente locations across Oregon and southwest Washington went on strike Tuesday.

Roughly 4,000 nurses and health professionals from mental health therapists to lab techs to operating room nurses are taking part in the five-day strike which stretches across six hospitals.

The strike is organized by the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (OFNHP). The union say it’s about more than just pay; they’re calling attention to staffing shortages and burnout.

In a statement, Sarina Roher, president of OFNHP, says: “We’ve been asking for real solutions to the staffing crisis, and Kaiser’s response has been to delay and disregard.”

But Kaiser Permanente calls the strike “unnecessary and disruptive” and say

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