On July 30, 2024, UPE and the Court met and conferred on the Court’s plan to implement a Court Vehicle Use Policy, under which GPS tracking devices will be installed on Court vehicles to monitor vehicle activity.
The policy’s stated purpose is to improve driver safety, streamline vehicle maintenance, and reduce fuel use.
In particular, the GPS tracking devices will be used to monitor:
Excessive speeding, defined as exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 5mph for a duration of 2 minutes or longer.
Aggressive driving, including rapid acceleration, harsh braking, or sudden/erratic turns.
Seat belt use
Unnecessary idling, defined as idling for longer than five continuous minutes in any one-hour period.
How the GPS tracker will be used:
This is a State-mandated program required for all state vehicles, including those leased from the State by the Court.
In practice, the State will collect the data and send an “Exception Report” in the event a Court vehicle violates the driving policies stated above. A Court appointed coordinator will then have access to the data to act upon.
UPE and our members expressed concern about how Big Brother will use the data because, under the policy, it “may also be used to support disciplinary action.” The Court asserted that it has a duty to ensure its vehicles are being used safely but would only use discipline in cases of egregious behavior. However, after questioning from UPE, the Court made clear that they would start by speaking with employees before moving to any sort of discipline. UPE also ensured that there were no formulas the Court would use to measure an employee’s driving. The system should be live in Court vehicles in the next couple of weeks, and workers should notify UPE if they have any concerns.
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