Kaiser Permanente workers vote to authorize a strike, setting the stage for what could be the largest healthcare strike in US history

• Last month, 85,000 Kaiser Permanente employees launched a strike authorization vote.
•  This week, nearly 60,000 of them — mostly in California — voted yes to a strike.
• Those employees will strike if an agreement isn't reached with Kaiser Permanente by September 30.

Over the last several weeks, 85,000 healthcare workers across the United States have been voting on whether or not to authorize a strike.

Today, about 60,000 of them have so far voted "Yes," according to a statement from SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West. The rest of the votes are expected in the coming days.