Destine
QUEENS — Dawn Destine is driven, if not determined, to protect our members.
Even before COVID-19 claimed the lives of three of her co-workers, as the New York State Department of Motor
Vehicles New York City Unit President, Destine was already securing important protections for her members. But nothing could have prepared her for the pandemic.
“When somebody you work with passes away, it hurts,” Destine said. “You’re also afraid and start to think, ‘what’s going to happen with us?’”
Even as the pandemic raged across the city and forced the closure of DMV offices in neighboring states, New York City DMV offices were still full of customers.
As the number of COVID-19 deaths and cases decline and the state resumes operations, her local has outlined several demands to management, including barriers at the offices to shield workers from the public; protective masks, gloves and hand sanitizer (PPE); temperature pre-screening for customers; requiring appointments; deep cleaning and disinfection of offices and social distancing measures.
Destine is adamant that these preliminary measures be in place before members return to work.
“There can no longer be any excuses about not prioritizing safety at the offices and the workers in the five boroughs because we are at the epicenter of this pandemic,” said Destine. “If we get one or two days of the DMV as it was, we are going to wind up in quarantine again.”
Before the pandemic, Destine and unit activists had already started securing significant victories for their members, including changes to the instant notification procedure for license examiners and concessions on overtime rules that were imposed with little notice.
“That was a huge victory for us,” said Destine. “We have made tremendous progress, have become more unified and elevated our issues and concerns.”
Destine’s paramount concern now is the physical and emotional health and safety of her members. She recalled how one of our members who had passed away from COVID-19, Kaleema McKethan, had recently gotten a promotion and was working as a greeter.
“She loved what she was doing, but didn’t have the protection she deserved,” said Destine. “The DMV has taken us down some roads that we can’t ever go back to. It’s been devastating.”
— David Galarza
