Page 10 - Work Force November 2020

‘Every day is like taking a a a a a roller coaster ride’
For motor vehicle license examiners policy to Owen Romeo a a a a a a motor vehicle license examiner at at at the state state Department of Motor Vehicles stands near a a a a a a a a state state road test test site in in Brooklyn with a a a a a a a a testing device Owen Romeo never imagined the the the last last test of of the the the day day could potentially turn into the the the last last day day of of his life The Motor Motor Vehicle License Examiner (MVLE) employed by the the state Department of Motor Motor Vehicles (DMV) had just returned to to the the the the starting point of the the the the road test when the the the the applicant received the the news that he he he he had failed Romeo who started with the the DMV in in January 2020 and and is is based in in Brooklyn admitted that he he he notified the the applicant of his grade verbally and and not not by placing the the results in in in in an an an an an envelope as as per new guidelines that were meant as as an an an an interim solution to instant notification He had done the the same with with nearly 30 applicants throughout the the day without incident “He started begging me to to pass him because he he had lost his his job due to to the COVID pandemic and and and he he was starting a a a a a a a a new one and and and needed his his license ” said Romeo Romeo When Romeo Romeo told the the the applicant that that the the the results were final that’s when the the the the situation took a a a a a a a turn for the worse The applicant left the the the car cursing grabbed a a a a a a a a a a a bag he he he he had in in the the rear seat took a a a a a a a a a a a a bottle out and threw it at him The next few minutes would be filled with with terror and and a a a a a a a a a a frantic back and and forth with with with the the applicant at at times running away but then returning with with some object to throw at at Romeo At one point he came close enough to to Romeo to to land a a a blow
on his chest “I would have let
it go ” said Romeo a a a a father of three children “But he he kept coming back and making threats Every time he he went into his bag I thought he he would come out with a a a gun ” Eventually a a a worker
for the the driving school
the the applicant arrived
with interceded The driving school
worker
wound up wrestling the the applicant to the the the ground and eventually drove him away from the the scene Police arrived
a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a few minutes later and filed a a a a a a a a a a a report The applicant was arrested
Motor Vehicle License Examiner Corcoran During difficult times union reaches out to members
MANHATTAN — Working at at the state Department of Motor Vehicles in in in recent months has been as as as challenging as as as midtown Manhattan traffic which is is is why CSEA staff officers and activists recently visited a a a a a a few offices throughout New York City to express the the union’s appreciation “We’re in the the middle of a a a a a pandemic and and and it’s great that our union came out to see us us and and and hear from us us ” said Nahida Akter a a a a a a a motor vehicle representative “[It] makes me feel like our voices matter and that we’re not forgotten ” Observing all proper safety protocols and practices CSEA Metropolitan Region staff set up tables just outside the DMV midtown offices and were joined
by Executive Vice President President Denise Berkley Metropolitan Region President President President Lester Crockett DMV Unit
Unit
President President Dawn Destine and Unit
Unit
Secretary Ashley Holt CSEA’s DMV Unit
was created at at the the the the start of the the the the year and and and since then the the the the unit and and and New York City State Employees Local officers and and and CSEA staff have been immersed in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a range of of of issues and and concerns including dealing with the barrage of of customers and and and mandated overtime associated with the the the Real ID ID the the the enhanced ID ID and and and the the the Greenlight program said Destine “We have been bombarded with crisis crisis after crisis crisis before and and since the pandemic ” said Destine “It is is is crucial for for our DMV members
to understand that we have a a a a a a a a a place at at the table now more than ever before ” Behind a a a a a a Plexiglas window and using a a a a a a special
tool to to to hand out CSEA bags the union’s Deputy Director for State Operations (Metropolitan Region) Liam Russertt praised DMV workers for for their labor and sacrifices “During COVID essential workers still have to carry out their jobs ” said Russertt “CSEA members
are are there there for for the the the the the the the public so so we want to to be be there there for for them so so they they don’t feel like they they are are alone in this pandemic The public didn’t know how essential DMV DMV workers were until DMV DMV closed ” The presence of Berkley Crockett Contract Administration Specialist Steven Williams and Political Action Coordinator Matt D’Amico also allowed members
to to engage leadership and and staff with any questions questions and concerns “I had a a a a a a a a a few work-related questions questions I I needed to ask but didn’t have a a a a a a a personal point of Akter 10 The Work Force
November 2020