2.  Describe TSS Classification Series  Key Points of TSS Concept  Describe Cross Bargaining  Describe How TSS is used in MnDOT District One ◦ Winter Season ◦ Summer Season ◦ Other Examples of Resource Sharing  Describe Benefits to Employees  Describe Benefits to the Public

3.  Transportation Associate:  $15.68-16.17  Trainees who perform skilled roadway surface and roadside maintenance activities.  Transportation Generalist:  $16.77-21.09  Entry level technical and skilled work involving transportation design, construction and maintenance activities.  Transportation Generalist Senior:  $18.09-23.43  Intermediate level technical and skilled work, and/or lead work.  Transportation Specialist:  $19.11-26.12  Senior level technical and/or specialized work.

4.  TSS Classification employees make up 44.4% of MnDOT’s workforce.  TSS Concept began with a pilot project in District 8 – Willmar in 1999.  TSS Negotiated in the 2001-03 AFSCME Labor Contract.

5.  Combined skilled and technical bargaining units.  Combined classifications among skilled and technical workers into one singular classification series.  Positions can be described with duties that include both skilled and technical work activities.

6.  TSS concept provides management the ability to offer project based or seasonal opportunities to employees in either skilled or technical areas in order to balance work loads between work areas.  Opportunities are posted for employees within specific work areas to express interest.  Selection is made by seniority among qualified applicants.  New opportunities are posted as “training opportunities”.

9.  Winter Season – Snow and Ice ◦ Statewide 11.0% of all snowplow operators that are assigned a shift and a route work in technical jobs. ◦ In District One 14% (23 of 164) snowplow operators that are assigned a shift and a route work in technical jobs. ◦ In District One 26 back-up snow plow operators work in technical jobs. ◦ All new employees have snow and ice activities in their position description. ◦ Technical employees are required to obtain CDL and be trained to operate snow and ice equipment (loaders, single axle and tandem axle dump trucks).

10.  Each year, Management determines which employees will be assigned a shift and a work location.  Remaining employees with snow and ice in job description are considered back-up operators.  Back-up operators fill in when an operator is sick, on vacation or at training.

11. ◦ Snow and ice is the highest priority for MnDOT employees when it snows. ◦ Work schedules are adjusted to ensure that there is coverage during the entire 24 hour period of a weekday when needed. ◦ TSS concept provides additional snow plow operators in the areas surrounding MnDOT Headquarters and Field Offices where there have traditionally been technical employees.

12.  Summer Season – Contract Administration ◦ Project locations can vary across the broad region encompassed by District One. ◦ Generally, there are skilled maintenance employees within 50 miles of any particular location, where the core of MnDOT’s technical employees may be over 100 miles away. ◦ Skilled employees become trained to perform technical work through “training opportunities”.  May include certification training.  May include on the job training. ◦ As need arises, management may offer training opportunities or opportunities for trained personnel for specific projects. ◦ Allows use of employees that live and work in the proximity to projects to help administer the projects.

13.  Other examples of Shared Work Force: ◦ Maintenance crews provide assistance to field survey crews with traffic control. ◦ Construction inspection personnel completing final design plans. ◦ Shifting program delivery personnel to field maintenance during spring lulls in program delivery effort…..plans turned in but construction projects not started yet. ◦ Utilizing “other” classes of employees to supplement snow and ice compliment.

14.  Created additional career advancement paths through training opportunities and cross bargaining opportunities.  Provided greater pay ranges within classifications.  Created opportunities to try something new.  Improved understanding of the “big” picture of MnDOT’s mission.

15.  A tool to utilize resources more effectively in order to complete the highest priority work of the day.  Flexibility to change the way the workforce is used that will allow MnDOT to change priorities more rapidly as budgets change.  Flexibility to make assignments as needed across functional areas.

16.  TSS is a framework for many job descriptions that perform technical or skilled transportation work.  TSS creates flexibility in how MnDOT employees can be deployed to complete the highest priority work.  TSS provides a framework where Human resources can be shifted between program delivery and operations assignments as programs and budgets affect priorities.