Title: Wisconsin. Employment Relations Study Commission: Records
Inclusive Dates: 1976-1977

Creator:

• Wisconsin. Employment Relations Study Commission

Call Number: Series 1814; Audio 1034A

Quantity: 12.0 cubic feet (35 archives boxes) and 53 tape recordings

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Papers from the study of the civil service system by the commission established by Executive Order in 1976; including agenda and minutes, correspondence, financial materials, progress and final reports, employee survey forms, staff and subcommittee research materials, and tape-recorded proceedings.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-ser01814

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By document type.

A comprehensive study of the civil service system in Wisconsin had not been conducted since 1966 when Governor Patrick J. Lucey issued Executive Order No. 33 on June 10, 1976, officially creating the Governor's Employment Relations Study Commission, popularly known as the Stevens-Offner Commission. The Commission was established to conduct a comprehensive review of the civil service system in the state of Wisconsin, recording the changes that had taken place in the system since its inception in 1895 when the Legislature passed the first civil service statute, an act which applied only to first and second class cities. In 1897, the scope of civil service regulation was extended to counties with populations of 100,000 or more; and in 1905, a civil service system was established for the entire state. The Commission was also charged with assessing personnel practices in terms of the effective functioning of the merit system and determining whether or not the state civil service system was serving the public interest.

Initially eighteen members were appointed to the Commission; however, one member withdrew soon after the Commission's creation. The original membership was composed of four legislators, four state employees, six private citizens, two university officials, one State Personnel Board member, and one public employee union member. Assemblymen John Stevens and Paul Offner were appointed co-chairmen of the Commission.

Although Executive Order No. 33 was dated June 10, 1976, Governor Lucey appointed the Commission members on March 25, 1976, and the Commission first convened on April 13, 1976, when its membership was structured into four subcommittees to provide an organizational structure for fact finding and initiation of recommendations. To help direct the research of the subcommittees, the Commission compiled a list of priority issues, including structures and procedures, centralization versus decentralization, the recruitment and selection process, classification, tenure and promotion, merit in compensation, employee development, performance evaluation, managerial flexibility, productivity, incentives and employee morale, job analysis, and mechanisms for getting information upon which policies are based. The first subcommittee (I) focused on organizational issues; the second (II) on recruitment, selection, position analysis, and certification; the third (III) on classification and compensation; and the fourth (IV) on tenure, appeals, and employee development. Other areas of study included affirmative action, collective bargaining, career progression, and employee supervision.

The Commission's study progressed in three phases. During the first phase, April through October 1976, Commission members educated themselves about the history, development, and structure of the state civil service system. The second phase, from November 1976 through March 1977, focused on research, which was gathered through briefings given by members of the State Bureau of Personnel and through interviews with state officials. However, the bulk of the research was carried on through surveys which sought to determine employee attitudes and perceptions about the state civil service system. The most comprehensive of these surveys was the Civil Service Employee Survey conducted in October 1976. Public hearings were held in Eau Claire, Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee, and Oshkosh. Beyond the Civil Service Employee Survey and the public hearings, there were thirty specific studies conducted by the four subcommittees, covering such topics as career progression, certification, veterans' preference points, affirmative action, the accountability of appointed authorities, the classification system, limited term employment, compensation, tenure, appeal, supervision, and employee development. A progress report submitted on March 1, 1977 indicated that the Commission's findings were inconclusive. Additional funding was granted, which enabled the Commission to complete its study in May 1977. The third phase of Commission activity, beginning in April 1977, culminated in the full Commission voting in May 1977 on recommendations presented by the subcommittees. The Commission's findings are set forth in the final report along with recommendations for improving opportunities for career progression, the recruitment and selection process, and grievance and appeal procedures.

The records of the Governor's Employment Relations Study Commission document the operations of the full Commission and each of four subcommittees, and consist of notices of meetings, agenda, and minutes; correspondence; financial materials; reports, including progress reports and the final report; Civil Service Employee Survey forms; and staff research materials. The dates of the records span the Commission's life, from the appointment of Commission members in March 1976 to the issuance of its final report at the end of June 1977. Some of the research materials gathered for reference purposes predate the formation of the Commission.

Records documenting the functioning of the full Commission consist of information about the formation of the Commission, including copies of Executive Order No. 33, Governor Lucey's charge to the Commission, and executive appointments of Commission members, with occasional biographical information; notices of meetings, agenda, and minutes; financial materials regarding the Commission's funding; subject correspondence pertaining to some of the Commission's major areas of concern: compensation, recruitment, selection, position analysis, certification, tenure, appeal, and employee development; and records of public hearings held in Eau Claire, Green Bay, Madison, and Milwaukee, including correspondence and copies of presentations made at the hearings. (Although the schedule for public hearings mentioned proposed hearings in Oshkosh and Superior, no paper records of such meetings were transferred with the Commission's files. However, proceedings of the Oshkosh public hearing are available on tape.) Also included are progress reports and the final report.

Each of the four subcommittees had a specific subject focus. Records of each subcommittee consist of notices of meetings and agenda, correspondence, staff papers and reports, and reference materials from other sources. A record of the proceedings of the subcommittees is incorporated into the minutes of the full Commission.

The Civil Service Employee Survey, the most comprehensive of the research gathering surveys undertaken by the Commission, consists of almost 4,000 survey forms received from classified employees and their supervisors detailing employee and supervisor attitudes about the civil service system in general and about their jobs in particular. The blind surveys received from classified employees give the following information: age; sex; race; education; military service; physical disability; time employed in Wisconsin Civil Service; reclassifications, promotions, or demotions; current job classification; bargaining unit; salary; location of job; satisfying and dissatisfying aspects of job; and detailed questions about perceptions of the Wisconsin Civil Service System, the employee's relationship with his supervisor, and suggestions for improvement of job performance and the Civil Service System in general. The blind supervisor surveys, all received from supervisors of classified employees within the University of Wisconsin System, show faculty status; administrative placement; number of classified employees supervised; length of time exercising supervisory responsibilities; assessment of employee morale and causes of satisfaction or dissatisfaction; whether employees should be dismissed or demoted and why, and supervisor's feelings about doing so; assessment of hiring and promotional processes; ways to improve work output of state employees; and comments or suggestions. Some surveys were received by the Commission too late to be included in statistical summaries.

Research materials include the notes of staff researchers, Stephen McDougal, on the history of the civil service system, 1895-1975; copies of relevant statutes; and reference materials gathered in a survey of civil service systems in California, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Oregon, and Washington.

Proceedings of the meetings of the full Commission, the subcommittees, and public hearings in Eau Claire, Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee, and Oshkosh are available on tape, which is currently unprocessed.

Processing Information

Processed by Nancy Kaufer, June 1978.

Series 1814	Series: Full Commission
Box   1 Folder   1	Background and Organization, 1976 June 14-August 1
Box   1 Folder   2	Members and Personnel, 1976 June 2-1977 May 2
Box   1 Folder   3	Minutes, Meeting Notices, and Agendas, 1976 April 13-1977 June 17
	Financial Materials
Box   1 Folder   4	Appropriations, 1976 June 3-1977 June 6
Box   1 Folder   5	Budget and Accounting Reports, 1976 February 10-1977 May 24
	Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   6	General, 1976 June 15-1977 July 22
Box   1 Folder   7	Administrative, 1976 March 4-1977 April 5
Box   1 Folder   8	Affirmative Action, 1976 June 10-1977 March 29
Box   1 Folder   9	Civil Service Employee Survey, 1976 August 10-1977 April 27
Box   1 Folder   10	Classification and Compensation, 1976 August 10-1977 April 27
Box   1 Folder   11	Recruitment, Selection, Position Analysis, and Certification, 1976 May 14-1977 March 3
Box   1 Folder   12	Tenure, Appeal, and Employee Development, 1976 April 13-1977 March 14
	Hearings
Box   1 Folder   13	General, 1976 September 24-October 22
Box   1 Folder   14	Correspondence, 1976 September 10-November 8
Box   1 Folder   15	Eau Claire, 1976 November 9
Box   1 Folder   16	Green Bay, 1976 July 8-November 11
Box   2 Folder   1	Madison, 1975 March-1976 October 19
Box   2 Folder   2	Milwaukee, 1976 September 23-October 28
	Reports
Box   2 Folder   3	General, 1976 August-1977 July
Box   2 Folder   4	Summary Reports, undated
	Final Report
Box   2 Folder   5	First Draft, 1977 April 22-May 6
Box   2 Folder   6	Revised, 1977 April 29-May 27
Box   2 Folder   7	Adopted, 1977 May 27-June 30
Box   2 Folder   8	Statutes, 1977 July 27
Box   2 Folder   9	Press Releases and Miscellaneous Newspaper Clippings, 1976-1977
	Series: Subcommittees	⇧
	Subcommittee I (Organizational Issues)
Box   2 Folder   10	Meeting Notices and Agenda, 1976 June 1-1977 March 21
Box   2 Folder   11	Correspondence, 1977 March 10-May 21
	Research Materials
Box   2 Folder   12	1966 August 24-1976 April 26
Box   2 Folder   13	1976 August 23-1977 March 30
	Subcommittee II (Recruitment, Selection, Position Analysis, and Certification)
Box   2 Folder   14	Meeting Notices and Agenda, 1976 May 26-1977 March 24
Box   2 Folder   15	Correspondence, 1976 April 19-1977 April 12
	Research Materials
Box   3 Folder   1	Recruitment, Selection, Position Analysis, and Certification, 1975 March-1976 August 4
Box   3 Folder   2	U.S. Civil Service Commission, 1976 January 19-June 9
	Reports
Box   3 Folder   3	General, 1976 December 21-1977 March 14
Box   3 Folder   4	Recruitment, 1977 February 2
Box   3 Folder   5	Selection, undated
Box   3 Folder   6	Position Analysis, 1977 August 27
Box   3 Folder   7	Certification, 1976 July 26-1977 March 14
	Subcommittee III (Classification and Compensation)
Box   3 Folder   8	Meeting Notices and Agenda, 1976 May 26-1977 February 23
Box   3 Folder   9	Correspondence, 1976 July 13-1977 March 2
Box   3 Folder   10	Research Materials (Personnel Management Surveys), 1970-1977 August 14
	Reports
Box   3 Folder   11	Advisory Commission on Employment Relations, 1970 December
Box   3 Folder   12	Retirement Research Committee, 1976-1977
Box   4 Folder   1	Upper Level Executive Positions Classification, 1974
	Staff Papers
Box   4 Folder   2	General, 1976 October 6-1977 March
Box   4 Folder   3	Classification, 1976 July 7-1977 February 28
Box   4 Folder   4	Compensation, 1976 July 30-November 4
Box   4 Folder   5	Fringe Benefits, 1963 July 29-1976 June 26
	Subcommittee IV (Tenure, Appeals, and Employee Development)
Box   4 Folder   6	Meeting Notices and Agenda, 1976 May 26-1977 March 1
Box   4 Folder   7	Correspondence, 1976 June 28-1977 February 17
	Research Materials
Box   5 Folder   1	Appeal and Collective Bargaining, 1973-1976 May 15
Box   5 Folder   2	Employee Development, 1974-1976 March 6
Box   5 Folder   3	Employee Development, 1975 July 9-1976
	Staff Papers
Box   5 Folder   4	General, 1976 June 15-1977 February 9
Box   5 Folder   5	Employee Development, 1976 July 27-1977 March 18
Box   5 Folder   6	Tenure, 1976 August 3
Box   5 Folder   7	Grievance and Appeal Procedures, 1976 June 24-1977 January 27
	Series: Civil Service Employee Survey, 1976 October	⇧
	Classified Employee Surveys
Box   5 Folder   8-9	0001-0060
Box   6 Folder   1-5	0061-0204
Box   7 Folder   1-5	0205-0360
Box   8 Folder   1-2	0361-0420
Box   9 Folder   1-5	0421-0571
Box   10 Folder   1-5	0572-0720
Box   11 Folder   1-2	0721-0780
Box   12 Folder   1-5	0781-0927
Box   13 Folder   1-5	0928-1080
Box   14 Folder   1-2	1081-1140
Box   15 Folder   1-5	1141-1293
Box   16 Folder   1-5	1294-1440
Box   17 Folder   1-2	1441-1500
Box   18 Folder   1-5	1501-1651
Box   19 Folder   1-5	1652-1800
Box   20 Folder   1-2	1801-1860
Box   21 Folder   1-5	1861-2012
Box   22 Folder   1-5	2013-2160
Box   23 Folder   1-2	2161-2220
Box   24 Folder   1-5	2221-2373
Box   25 Folder   1-5	2374-2520
Box   26 Folder   1-5	2521-2673
Box   27 Folder   1-5	2674-2820
Box   28 Folder   1-2	2821-2880
Box   29 Folder   1-5	2881-3027
Box   30 Folder   1-5	3028-3190
	Supervisor Surveys
Box   31 Folder   1-3	5001-5158
Box   31 Folder   4	Classified Employee Survey, Received Late
Box   31 Folder   5	Supervisor Surveys, Received Late
	Series: Research Materials	⇧
Box   31 Folder   6	History of the Civil Service System, 1895-1975
Box   31 Folder   7	History, Civil Service Statutes, 1917, 1929, 1941, 1955, 1961, and 1975
Box   32 Folder   1	Negotiated Agreements, 1973-1977
Box   32 Folder   2	Compensation Comparison, 1974-1976 December
Box   32 Folder   3	Circuit and Supreme Court Decisions, 1977 February 28-April 19
Box   32 Folder   4	Exceptional Performance Awards, 1976 August 23-November 11
Box   32 Folder   5	National Civil Service League Model Law, 1974-1976 February 3
Box   32 Folder   6	National Civil Service League Publications on Collective Bargaining, 1977 February 16
Box   33 Folder   1	Personnel Board, 1973-1975 June 27
Box   33 Folder   2	Retirement Report, 1973 June 21-1977
Box   33 Folder   3	Statutes, Administrative Rules, Senate Rules, 1973-1977 January 3
Box   35 Folder   1	Survey Results of Interim Screening Devices, 1976 January 5-August 16
	Other States Surveyed
Box   33 Folder   4	California, 1976
Box   33 Folder   5	California, Selection, 1975 May-1976 April 22
Box   33 Folder   6	Illinois, 1975 June 1-1976 July 12
Box   33 Folder   7	Michigan, 1973 November 1-1976 July 7
Box   34 Folder   1	Minnesota, 1976 June 25-July 12
Box   34 Folder   2	New York, 1975 March-1976 August 2
Box   34 Folder   3	Ohio, 1975-1976
Box   34 Folder   4	Oregon, 1974 February-1976 May 10
Box   34 Folder   5	Washington, 1976 June 24-1977 February 15
Audio 1034A	Series: Tape Recordings	⇧
	Proceedings of the Governor's Employment Relations Study Commission and Subcommittees
1034A/1	1976 April 13
1034A/2	1976 May 26
1034A/3	1976 June 29
1034A/4	1976 July 30
1034A/5-7	1976 August 20
1034A/8-10	1976 September 14
1034A/11-13	1977 January 21
1034A/14-17	1977 February 18
1034A/18-21	1977 March 18
1034A/22-25	1977 April 1
1034A/26-29	1977 April 22
1034A/30-31	1977 April 29
1034A/32-36	1977 May 6
1034A/37-38	1977 May 27
	Proceedings of Public Hearings
1034A/39-41	Eau Claire, 1976 November 9
1034A/42-44	Green Bay, 1976 November 11
1034A/45-46	Madison, 1976 October 19
1034A/47-51	Milwaukee, 1976 October 26
1034A/52-53	Oshkosh, 1976 October 21