Oregon Commissioner of Labor explained

Post:Commissioner of Labor and Industries
Body:Oregon
Insignia:Seal of Oregon.svg
Insigniasize:120px
Insigniacaption:Great Seal of the State of Oregon
Flag:Flag of Oregon.svg
Flagsize:145px
Flagcaption:State flag
Department:Government of Oregon
Incumbent:Christina Stephenson
Incumbentsince:January 2, 2023
Termlength:4 years
Formation:1903
Inaugural:O. P. Hoff
Unofficial Names:Oregon Labor Commissioner
Website:https://www.oregon.gov/BOLI/Pages/index.aspx

The Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries is an elected government position in the U.S. state of Oregon. The commissioner is the chief executive of Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries and serves a four-year term.[1]

The commissioner is also chairperson of the State Apprenticeship and Training Council and executive secretary of the Wage and Hour Commission. The commissioner enforces state laws related to employment, housing, and public accommodation with respect to discrimination, wages, hours of employment, working conditions, prevailing wage rates, and child labor. The commissioner also enforces state laws prohibiting discrimination related to vocational, professional, and trade schools, and administers licensing required by many professional services. The commissioner oversees the Wage Security Fund, a source of coverage for unpaid wages in some business closure and group health situations.[1]

The current commissioner is Christina Stephenson, elected in 2022.

History

Upon inception, from 1903, the position was titled Oregon Labor Commissioner until 1918. It was called Oregon Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Inspector of Factories and Workshops from 1918 until 1930. It became Oregon Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor from 1930 to 1979 when the legislature changed it to Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries.[2]

11 individuals have served as commissioner since the office's inception. Party affiliation is included, though the legislature made the position a nonpartisan office in 1995; the first nonpartisan election was in 1998.[2]

List of Oregon commissioners of labor

Name Party Term Elected or reelected
1 June 2, 1903 – January 6, 1919 1903 appointment by Governor Chamberlain; elected in 1906, 1910, 1914
2 January 6, 1919 – January 4, 1943 1918, 1922, 1926, 1930, 1934, 1938
3 January 4, 1943 – January 3, 1955 1942, 1946, 1950
4 January 3, 1955 – January 6, 1975 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970
5 January 6, 1975 – January 1, 1979 1974
6 January 1, 1979 – January 2, 1995 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990
7 January 2, 1995 – January 6, 2003 1994, 1998
8 January 6, 2003 – April 7, 2008[3] 2002, 2006
9 April 8, 2008 – January 7, 2019 appointment by Governor Kulongoski mid-2008 to replace
resignation by Gardner; elected 2008, 2012, 2014
10 January 7, 2019 – January 2, 2023 2018
11 January 2, 2023 – present 2022

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Commissioner of Labor and Industries Brad Avakian . Oregon Bluebook . Oregon Secretary of State . 2012-02-16 . 2018-10-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181026025103/https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/state/executive/labor-industries-bio.aspx . live .
  2. Web site: Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries Administrative Overview . Oregon State Archives . Oregon Secretary of State . 2006 . 2012-02-16 . 2020-10-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201019102355/http://records.sos.state.or.us/ORSOSWebDrawer/RecordView/7589733 . live .
  3. On March 12, 2008, Dan Gardner announced his resignation, effective April 7, 2008. Web site: BOLI Commissioner Gardner Resigns . Nigel Jaquiss . Willamette Week . March 12, 2008 . February 16, 2012 . October 29, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081029073915/http://wweek.com/wwire/?p=11067 . live .