THE largest ever health care strike in Oregon continued today as thousands joined picket lines.

Some 5,000 hospital health care workers walked off the job on Friday as they picketed outside all eight Providence hospitals in Portland, Oregon, north-west United States.

Most of those participating in the strike are nurses. But in a rare move, dozens of doctors at a Portland hospital and at six women’s health clinics also walked out, making it the state’s first physicians’ strike, according to the Oregon Nurses Association union.

The strike came after more than a year of negotiations failed to produce an agreement over staffing levels, pay and benefits.

The union has described “chronic understaffing” as detrimental to patient care, and has called for its members to have reduced caseloads, increased wages and improved benefits. 

Providence says it has made offers for pay raises and been “fully committed” to reaching an agreement.

Providence said that it expected up to 70 doctors to strike at Providence, St Vincent, in Portland. 

Oregon governor Tina Kotek said on Friday: “Providence wasted 10 days when they could have been at the table making progress towards a comprehensive resolution of their labour dispute.” 

In response, Providence said that it spent those days recruiting and preparing 2,000 temporary nurses to care for patients at its eight hospitals.