Scanners Violate Civil Liberties;

Intrude on Privacy Rights
Scanners Violate Civil Liberties

By NEAL TEPEL

On Aug. 29, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Carol Robinson Edmead ruled that the Board of Collective Bargaining should handle the four improper practice charges filed by Local 375 of District Council 37 against the scanner system. Justice Edmead stated that "The court does not agree that the decision to implement the CityTime system was subject to collective bargaining."

Neal Tepel is President of the Civil Service Merit Council and can be reached by e-mailing neal@tepel.org .   However, contrary to her ruling, she acknowledged, as reported in The Chief in its Sept. 7 issue, that the "rounding procedures did not exist under the timesheet system, and impacts the five-minute grace period provided for in the parties' collective bargaining agreement."

Unfortunately, Justice Edmead did not address the dangerous implications and problems in using biometric technology.

Questionable Spending

There is increasing concern that the city is unnecessarily spending hundreds of millions of dollars for equipment that will replace an inexpensive system of timekeeping. Besides the huge expense of software and maintenance contracts, each scanner unit costs tens of thousands of dollars. Hundreds of units may be needed to implement this wasteful project.

Many unions consider the new system a change in the terms and conditions of employment requiring discussion prior to installation of palm-scanners. Since the city has refused negotiations or discussions regarding the implementation plan, legal initiatives are continuing by many unions and advocate organizations.

The palm-scanners and CityTime have created a rigid timekeeping procedure that has caused discontent in work locations and cheated city employees out of time and money as documented by several unions. The CityTime software has many "bugs" that have caused enormous waste of time and effort. The program is rigid and difficult to use. There have been so many problems that employees, supervisors, and timekeepers must continually resolve issues manually. The system still cannot process overtime without a handwritten time card and a six-week delay in payment to employees.

A Means of Spying

Many in the city's work force are fearful that the scanners are being placed in agencies to track them, since the devices are not being used for security purposes and are located inside entry doors. Scanners have the ability to follow employees throughout a work site at all times. Hand-geometry scanners, which have already been installed at the Department of Design and Construction in Long Island City and at the Department of Homeless Services, have nothing to do with site security. The devices are used by employees only after they already have swiped key cards for secure entry. In addition, the city has now announced it is researching the use of voice identification systems for personnel who call in their time from an offsite location.

The Hand Punch units take a reading of the unique shape of each employee's hand when they clock in or out each day. There is growing concern across the country with the use of "biometric" technology that automatically identifies people based on physical or behavioral characteristics. Civil liberties advocates consider it dangerous and an improper use of government power. In spite of concerns, the city's Office of Payroll Administration is installing the readers in municipal agencies.

Goodbye to Privacy

The CityTime project, developed by defense contractor SAIC for a start-up cost of $240 million, has the capability to time-stamp and track city employees by the use of biometric hand scanners, voice print recognition systems, GPS in city vehicles, cellphones, and other high-tech monitoring devices.

It opens a door into a world where personal privacy is eliminated. Clearly this system sends the wrong message to public employees.