Participation in technology implementation and post-deployment

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Unions are sometimes included in implementation teams to ensure smooth rollouts, worker training, and technical readiness. In some cases, participation extends to formal roles in evaluating system performance after deployment.

This section is organized into two categories:

• Participation in technology implementation: Provides union input during system installation, integration into workflows, and changes to contractually defined procedures.
• Participation in post-implementation evaluation: Allows union-designated participants to review system performance, raise concerns, and ensure post-rollout impacts align with agreed goals.

Participation in technology implementation

These clauses involve unions in rollout planning, workforce training, and procedural adjustments during the introduction of new technologies.

Examples:

• “The following work and the work of the Agreement demonstrates our joint commitment to the successful implementation of [the technology system].… In accomplishing this goal we will continue to make the company the model for the industry. It is also the intent of the parties that the implementation of [the technology system] will include the involvement of its Employees in a true [Labor Management Partnership] LMP setting.” (SEIU-UHW-PCBA29)
• “It is understood by the parties that within the collective bargaining agreement, there are articles that establish procedures that have been fulfilled by papered forms, cards and physical postings … [and] that technology has provided new ways to accomplish these established procedures through online and paperless means. NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and the [Union] agree to amend the applicable articles of the Agreement as the technology becomes available to provide for procedures to be accomplished through a paperless means. It is further agreed between the parties that prior to any procedural change to any of the Articles of this Agreement, the Company and the [Union] will work together on implementation of the new procedure, will ensure that the employees are sufficiently trained to execute the new technology, and will test the technology to ensure that it accomplishes the task.” (IAMAW-OLMS74)

Participation in post-implementation evaluation

After technologies are deployed, some agreements provide for union participation in monitoring effectiveness, raising issues, and informing future adjustments.

Example:

• “[The Employer] may designate a [bargaining unit employee] BUE representative to the [post-implementation] evaluation team that will be evaluating the deployment of [the technology]. The [representative] shall be a fully functioning participant on the team, and will be provided the same level of access to all data and information from the key sites as is available to the [Employer] evaluation team representatives.” (NATCA-OPM98)

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