MnDOT’s Use of TSS Concept

to Deliver Multiple Priorities

Duane Hill, ADE OperationsDistrict One

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

What This Presentation Will Cover

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.

TSS Classifications

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.

TSS Concept Implementation

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.

TSS Concept Implementation

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”.

Cross Bargaining:

Use of TSS Concept in MnDOT District One

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).

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.

◦ 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.

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.

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.

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.

TSS Benefits to Employees

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.

TSS Benefits to Public

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.

Summary

Questions?