Nearly 5,000 healthcare workers from Providence Health began a strike Friday morning, picketing all eight Providence hospitals in Oregon, after months of contract negotiations between the health system and the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) union, which is representing the workers.

The largest health care strike in Oregon history began early Friday at Providence across the state, as roughly 5,000 frontline health professionals walked off the job. The strike — which includes mostly nurses and 150 doctors and advanced practitioners in addition to thousands of nurses — spans Providence’s eight hospitals in the state.

Thousands of Providence health care workers are striking this morning in the largest health care strike in Oregon history. Here's why.

Nearly 5,000 doctors and nurses at several Providence hospitals and clinics hit the picket lines Friday in what could be the largest health care worker strike i

The strike, which impacts all eight Providence hospitals in the state as well as six women’s clinics, includes nearly 5,000 nurses, and close to 150 physicians and advanced practitioners.

With concern growing over hospital care as a Friday strike looms at Providence Hospitals, representatives from the Oregon Nurses Association held a press conference to update the public on their preparations.

Nearly 5,000 nurses, physicians and other caregivers from eight Providence hospitals and six Providence clinics began an open-ended strike at 6 a.m. Friday. “This is truly a historic event,” Oregon Nurses Association Executive Director Anne Tan Piazza said at a Thursday new conference.

Close to 5,000 Providence nurses and about 150 doctors, midwives and advanced practice providers went on strike indefinitely starting Friday morning.