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Seattle Municipal Archives Finding Aids

Civil Service Commission Annual Reports

 Series
Identifier: 1802-F7

Scope and Contents note

Annual reports for the Civil Service Commission from both before and after the 1979 reorganization. The earliest report, from 1894, is a report of the Labor Commissioner. The Labor Commissioner administered the Public Employment Office, which was part of the Civil Service Commission. Reports from 1896 to the 1920s have appendices that include reports from the secretary, chief examiner, and labor commissioner. The appendices also include information such as labor statistics, rulings, amendments, examinations, including examination questions, and labor issues. The 1899 report includes reports for the years 1897 and 1898. Labor Commissioner reports in the 1890s are very detailed and include information on types and numbers of positions filled, the increase of population due to the gold rush in Alaska, railroad laborers, hop picking, women, and minorities. By the 1930s, the annual report of the Labor Commissioner is presented jointly with the Civil Service Commission report and not as an appendix. These reports include statistical information but not as much narrative as earlier reports. Labor Commissioner reports cease to be a part of the Civil Service Commission reports in 1942 when the Public Employment Office was abolished. Reports in the 1950s begin listing names of examiners used, both inside and outside of City employment. Reports in the 1960s include organizational charts. Beginning in 1970, the reports are much shorter, only including one to two pages of statistical trends, or no statistics, and a few pages of narrative.

Dates

  • Creation: 1894-2006

Creator

Conditions Governing Access note

Records are open to the public.

Historical Note

The Civil Service Commission was established in 1896 to oversee the Civil Service Department which administered the City's personnel system. In 1979 the City's personnel system was reorganized with the creation of a Personnel Department independent of the Commission. The Commission was reorganized with jurisdiction to hear employee appeals relating to demotions, terminations, suspensions, certain lay-offs, and violations of personnel rules. The Commission is comprised of three-members serving staggered three-year terms. One member is appointed by the mayor, one by the City Council, and one is elected by City employees.

Full Extent

1.6 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Annual reports for the Civil Service Commission, including Labor Commissioner reports, Office Early reports, and Civil Service reports. Appendices include more detailed information, such as statistics, rulings, and amendments.

Location of Records

SMA

General Note

A Comptroller or Clerk File (CF) can consist of correspondence, reports, petitions, contracts, agreements, etc. from elected officials, City departments, other government agencies, or the general public, which have been placed on file with the Office of the City Clerk (OCC). They are primarily permanent records, but also include routine material which was periodically purged. Certain archival records identified in the CF have been removed, arranged into records series, and incorporated into the collection of the Seattle Municipal Archives, a program of the OCC.

Title
Guide to the Civil Service Commission Annual Reports
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.
EAD Location
http://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv49941

Repository Details

Part of the Seattle Municipal Archives Repository

Contact:
PO Box 94728
600 Fourth Avenue, Floor 3
Seattle 98124-4728 USA US