Appeals

Series

Identifier: 6010-10

Staff Only

Scope and Contents note

Records are in chronological order.

The records are mostly appeals made by City employees to the Civil Service Commission for reinstatement; investigations into suspensions; appeals of civil service exam results; questions of pay grade, pay status, classification; protests of order of hiring or firing based on seniority, and appeals for dismissals. Almost all City departments are represented, with the bulk of the collection being Police and Fire.

The collection represents a selected sample of original materials. Files that were routine in nature were not retained, as the minutes of the Civil Service Commission also document all formal appeals and outcomes. Retained files often centered on city policies or highlighted interesting events in Seattle history, including Prohibition and anti-Communism. Employee appeals also challenge city policies about gender rights, overtime, hourly pay, seniority and other workers' rights issues.

Formats include correspondence, memoranda, investigations, exhibits, reports, surveys, newspaper clippings, examination reports, classification studies and reports, legislation, and rules.

Dates

Creation: 1902-1975

Creator

Seattle (Wash.). Personnel Dept. (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access note

Records are open to the public.

Historical Note

The Personnel Department was created in 1979. It administers the employee selection system, labor relations and negotiations, benefit programs, and the classification/compensation plan. The Department also manages employee records, implements affirmative action, and coordinates other personnel related programs. The City Charter of 1896 created the Civil Service system and established the Civil Service Commission and Civil Service Department to administer the system. The reorganization in 1979 abolished the Civil Service Department, replacing it with the Personnel Department, and established the Civil Service Commission as a separate City agency. In 1997, the Personnel Department was incorporated as a division within the Executive Services Department. In 2001, a departmental reorganization reestablished Personnel as a separate and independent department. The bulk of records in this record group are from the old Civil Service Department.