Member Stories: Tamara Burgess, RN, UM Capital Region Medical Center
July 23, 2021
Tamara became a nurse at the height of the pandemic and said, at first, “There was so much information coming at you at once and everybody was scared and I was nervous at first because one of my first jobs was in the covid unit. But I did some research and made sure I wore my PPE and prayed before I went to work, and I’ve been ok.” These days, she says, “I’m not as nervous but I am still cautious.”
Tamara became a Delegate because “I saw that there was a need in my unit. I’m a union kid so, one of the first things I did when I got hired was read my union contract. I highlighted it; I took notes.” As a Delegate, she said she’s “happy that I’m able to educate people so that people know their rights. I want people to know that having a union is a great thing and people shouldn’t take it for granted. There are a lot of people out here who don’t have any representation, and it really makes a difference.”
Happy Anniversary, Tamara, and thanks for all you do for our union family!