Striking Allina nurse says more than health coverage at stake

Nurses walk the picket line
Nurses walk the picket line outside of Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis on Monday.
Elizabeth Dunbar | MPR News

No new talks have been announced between the Minnesota Nurses Association and Allina Health as more than 4,200 nurses continue their open-ended strike.

Roughly 400 nurses have decided to cross picket lines and return to work.

The majority, though, are still holding fast.

On Friday, MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Angela Becchetti, a registered nurse at Abbott Northwestern, where's she's worked for 10 years. She's picketing every day with Allina nurses and is a member of the union's bargaining committee.

While much of the public focus has been on which health plans nurses will be allowed to choose in the new contract, Becchetti says the concerns of striking nurses run deeper than that question.

Click on the audio player above to hear their conversation.