June 5, 2019 in General News
CSU Campuses Looking to Adopt Virtual Parking Permit Systems
As an increasing number of CSU campuses look to implement virtual parking permits, sometimes called "Permit-less Parking," CSU Employees Union-represented staff should remember that the program is intended solely to be used for management of parking facilities.
CSUEU’s position is no virtual parking permit systems should ever be used to track employees' attendance or for employee discipline.
Thus far, CSU San Marcos has finalized a “meet and confer” agreement on this matter; Parking Attendants at CSU Long Beach currently use license plate scanners to manage parking. At San Francisco State University, an “app” is being added to attendants’ university-issued phones to scan license plates. License plates would be the point of verification for permitted vehicles, both daily and semester passes. SDSU will be transitioning to a system that uses virtual verification by license plate readers to verify parking authorization. SDSU is required to meet with our union to negotiate impacts of the transition to a new system. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's proposed "Permit-less Parking" is in the meet-and-confer stage with CSUEU.
Our core principles when negotiating over the terms of virtual parking permits are:
Privacy Protection - not sharing data with third parties, expunging data after a certain time period. The CSU may provide information to law enforcement for the investigation of a crime, or in compliance with a valid subpoena, or as otherwise required by law.
Discipline Protection - not to be used as a time-keeping device (more of a concern at campuses with a scanner at point of entry which would record arrival and departure times).
Ease/Convenience of Use - ability to register multiple cars, unplanned vehicles (rentals or loaners), use of semester permit at other campuses.
Jobs Protection - efficiency attained by use of scanners may not be used as rationale for elimination of parking attendant jobs.
