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November 7, 2025 —<\/em> PEF filed an improper practice charge on behalf of a member against the Department of Transportation (DOT) after the agency installed a surveillance camera in front of her private property where her family has a maple processing setup and farmstand.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The\u00a0member\u00a0worked\u00a0some afternoons\u00a0remotely from the property.\u202f \u202fDOT installed the camera to investigate whether she was running her business\u00a0on\u00a0work time. The camera was recording the comings\u00a0and\u00a0goings\u00a0of her children and spouse, who also spent time at the property.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When PEF became aware of this practice, Field\u00a0Representative Shaun Francis\u00a0filed an improper practice\u00a0charge against DOT for installing the camera without first notifying and negotiating over\u00a0its\u00a0installation with PEF. The union asserted that this intrusion violated the privacy of her and her family.\u202f An Administrative Law Judge agreed and found that the state violated New York\u2019s Taylor Law when DOT unilaterally installed the camera.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cProtecting our members on the job is one of PEF\u2019s top priorities,\u201d said\u00a0Statewide\u00a0Director of\u00a0Field Services\u00a0Katie\u00a0Vorwald. \u201cThe installation of this camera invaded the privacy of the member\u2019s spouse and children, as well as anyone who visited the property. Members have rights when telecommuting and we will continue to work to ensure they are respected.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" November 7, 2025 — PEF filed an improper practice charge on behalf of a member against the Department of Transportation (DOT) after the agency installed a surveillance camera in front…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":8079,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"division":[],"allowed_regions":[],"allowed_divisions":[],"class_list":["post-8036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","issue-volume-43-no-10"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n