EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU) — Kaiser Permanente employees could strike Wednesday after the labor contract for 75,000 unionized healthcare workers with the company expired.

If the name sounds familiar, that’s because Kaiser Permanente is seeking state and federal approval to acquire Geisinger.

People in our area have turned to 28/22 News wondering if and how they could be impacted by the strike if it happens.

At this point, the strike is not guaranteed but it is possible considering the unions did put Kaiser Permanente executives on notice.

A strike has been brewing for months as the Coalition of Unions and Kaiser Permanente executives have been bargaining without a resolution.

They can’t seem to agree on several key issues including staffing, pay, and guaranteed performance bonuses.

Kaiser Permanente made local headlines last spring when it agreed to acquire Geisinger Health to form a new nonprofit health system called “Risant Health.”

In a statement issued to 28/22 news, a Geisinger spokesperson said:

“The potential strike will not have any impact on Geisinger operations. Our acquisition by Risant Health is still pending regulatory approval and we are not currently part of Risant Health.”

If there’s no agreement by Wednesday it would be the largest healthcare strike in U.S. history.