Montana Historical Society
Library & Archives
RS 386_RS 498
Montana.
Department of Labor and Industry. Women's Bureau.
Montana Department of Labor and Industry, Women's Bureau
records
1973-1981
1 linear ft
This collection is a sub-subgroup
(Bureau) of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry records, RS 498. The
Women's Bureau formerly operated within the Employment Relations Division (Employment
Relations now operates within the Employment Standards Division). The Women's Bureau lost
its funding in 1981. Please see the primary finding aid for more Montana Department of
Labor and Industry records. These records of the Women's Bureau consist of
correspondence, press releases, publications, reports, subject files, and clippings.
34:6-3
English
In 1973, in an effort to "enable women to reach their fullest potential of service and
contribution to society," the 43rd Montana Legislature passed legislation requiring the
Department of Labor and Industry to study the difficulties women faced in the work place and
to serve as a watch dog on public and private employment practices. To oversee and
coordinate this effort, the Montana Women's Bureau was created within the Employment
Relations Division in 1974. Additionally, the Montana Advisory Council on Women was created.
The first Bureau Chief was Sue Bartlett, who served in that post until replaced by Joan
Duncan in 1975. Joan Duncan remained in that position until 1981. The Women's Bureau served
as a clearing house for access to information regarding grants, discrimination, occupational
education and training, sexual harassment, child and health care, and other issues of
special interest to female employees. The Bureau published a newsletter, provided job
hunting information, produced weekly television news spot, sponsored seminars, conducted
surveys, and served as a resource library.
The Bureau lost its funding during the 1981 Legislature after extensive debate over
funding shortfalls and possible duplication of services within the Department of Labor and
Industry.
These records of the Montana Women's Bureau consist of general and interoffice
correspondence (1973-1981); news releases (1974-1980); copies of
Newsbriefs (1980-1981) the Bureau newsletter; monthly reports (1977-1981);
project reports (1978); subject files (1978-1981); miscellany (1981) including mailing and
referral lists; and clippings (1974-1981).
The collection is arranged by series.
Collection is open for research.
The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Library & Archives
and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written
permission must be obtained from the Library & Archives before any reproduction use. The
Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In
some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the
copyright owners.
In 2024, the various collections of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry were
integrated under one collection identifier, RS 498, in order to help facilitate access,
reduce redundancy in the Montana Historical Society Library & Archives catalog, and to
follow best archival practices.
Collections from Montana Department of Labor and Industry's various Divisions and Bureaus
that were previously treated as separate entities are now integrated into this collection, RS 498. Rather than reprocessing over 20 linear feet
of DLI materials, MTHS staff decided to keep the past arrangement of those
collections/finding aids and provide access to them via links in the primary finding aid.
This decision has allowed the MTHS archival staff to maintain intellectual control over the
collection, while removing the need to reprocess it. It also keeps State Agency finding aids
at manageable sizes. Please read the scope and content note carefully to determine if this
subgroup/sub-subgroup pertains to your research needs.
Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers.
Montana Historical Society Library & Archives, Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information available upon request
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical Society
Archives catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places
should search under these terms.
Women employees--Montana.
Sex discrimination against
women--Montana.
Montana
Women
Detailed Description of the Collection
General Correspondence
1 / 1-23
A-W (filed chronologically within each letter of the
alphabet)
1978-1981
Interoffice Correspondence
1 / 24
Department of Labor and Industry Commissioners Office
(primarily with Commissioner David E. Fuller)
1978-1980
1 / 25
Department of Labor and Industry Labor Standards
Division (primarily with Division Administrator, Dick Kane)
1978-1981
Press Releases
1 / 26
Press releases (re various women's issues)
1974-1980
Printed Materials
2 / 1
Newsbriefs (newsletter of the Women's
Bureau)
1979-1981
Reports
2 / 2
"A Report on the Montana Job Service" (re results of
Job Service Survey on Women)
1978 December
2 / 3
Monthly reports
1977-1981
Subject Files
2 / 4
Job Service survey
1978
2 / 5
Job Service training programs for women
1980-1981
2 / 6
Legislation: abolishing the Women's Bureau
1981
2 / 7
Legislation: establishing Women's Bureau (includes
legislative charge from the Montana Codes.)
1973-1974
2 / 8
"News from the Women's Bureau" (materials relating to
newspaper column of this title)
1980-1981
2 / 9
Program priorities
1979-1980
2 / 10
"Survey of Women and Work"
1978 August-September
2 / 11
Women's Bureau survey
1979-1980
2 / 12
Women's Bureaus: National Department of Labor
1979-1980
2 / 13
Women's Bureaus: Regional--Denver Regional Office
1981
2 / 14
Women's Bureaus: State (not Montana)
1978-1979
2 / 15
Women's Bureaus: U.S. Women's Bureau
1978-1981
Miscellany
2 / 16
Bibliography on sexual harassment
1981 June
2 / 17
Mailing list
1981 June 19
2 / 18
Referral list
1981
Clippings
2 / 19
Newspaper clippings (re Montana Women's Bureau and
various programs and events relating to women's issues)
1974-1981