Union and Company In Discussions Regarding the Activation of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) In Company Vehicles

The installation and, more importantly, the activation of GPS has been cause for concern with the union.  Not because of what the technology is capable of offering the company in regards to improving customer service but due to the human element involved within its capability of being misused as an electronic monitoring and surveillance device.

Currently, the union and the company are in discussion about GPS.  The company has touted that once the system is up and running it will assist So Cal Gas by having “the ability to route the closest crew or [field] employee, real time, across district/region boundaries, based on their location, skill set and availability.”

Representatives of the company also have stated that GPS will be utilized to “help analyze and improve efficiencies in the Automated Routing Tool (ART).”

The union doesn’t dismiss the fact that this technology is designed to and may improve the level of service to the customers serviced by our members.  But on the other hand, there is another issue whereby the company wants to use this technology to assist it in disciplining represented employees. 

The company states that they are aware that “the vast majority of employees have satisfactory job performances and are not in the habit of being out-of-route, extending breaks or lunches, or conducting unapproved personal business on company time.”  And, although other long-standing practices for disciplining are still in place, the company wishes to add this bit of technology to its management teams’ arsenal of tools.

The union has not been convinced that current practices for managing the represented workforce are not sufficient and therefore would require additional technological assistance for the company to aid in improving its management employees’ workforce management skills.

What has been predominantly at issue is the fact that not all, but some, management employees have no ethical boundaries and would potentially put this company at risk by abusing this technology and conducting unauthorized – and quite possibly, illegal - proactive electronic monitoring and surveillance. The union would require of the company to establish safeguards to assure its membership that everything possible to prevent such actions from occurring have been put firmly in place.