With my railroad the company told the Union to tell us that the camera's would not be examined unless an accident occurred. We were told the company did not have access to the cameras and that they would have to go to a 3rd party to gain access to footage.
It took four months for the first "random download" to occur. A year in and they pull hundreds of hours of footage a week, writing people up for having their phone off and in their pocket instead of off and in their bag (per FRA regs) and they issuing warnings for people who are seen out the front window camera walking across yard tracks instead of using the crosswalk.
I could only imagine the colorful conversations they listen to when we have a three hour swing, and are just bull****ting in the passenger cabin.
I urge any ALPA rep on these boards to fight camera's with every fiber of your being. Do not believe your company when they claim altruism.