North Carolina Commissioner of Labor
Encyclopedia
The Commissioner of Labor of North Carolina
is the head of the state's Department of Labor.
The Constitution of North Carolina provides for the election by the people every four years of a Commissioner of Labor whose term of office runs concurrently with that of the governor. The commissioner is the administrative head of the Department of Labor and also serves as a member of the North Carolina Council of State
. The original 'Bureau of Labor Statistics', the historical precursor of the present N.C. Department of Labor, was created by the North Carolina General Assembly
of 1887, with provision for appointment by the governor of a 'Commissioner of Labor Statistics' for a two-year term. In 1899 another act was passed providing that the commissioner, beginning with the general election of 1900, be elected by the people for a four-year term.
For three decades, the department over which this newly-elected commissioner presided remained a very small agency of state government with limited duties and personnel. In 1925, the department employed a total of 15 people. In a general reorganization of the state's labor administration functions in 1931, the General Assembly laid the broad groundwork for the Department of Labor's subsequent, gradual development into an agency administering laws and programs affecting a majority of North Carolina citizens.
Today, the North Carolina Department of Labor is charged by statute with promoting the 'health, safety and general well-being' of the state's more than three million working people. The many laws and programs under its jurisdiction affect virtually every person in the state in one way or another. The General Statutes provide the commissioner with broad regulatory and enforcement powers with which to carry out the department’s duties and responsibilities to the people.
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
is the head of the state's Department of Labor.
The Constitution of North Carolina provides for the election by the people every four years of a Commissioner of Labor whose term of office runs concurrently with that of the governor. The commissioner is the administrative head of the Department of Labor and also serves as a member of the North Carolina Council of State
North Carolina Council of State
The Council of State is a group of popularly elected executive offices in North Carolina, USA. It is separate from the North Carolina Cabinet, which is appointed by the Governor of North Carolina, and makes up the rest of the executive leadership of the government...
. The original 'Bureau of Labor Statistics', the historical precursor of the present N.C. Department of Labor, was created by the North Carolina General Assembly
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
of 1887, with provision for appointment by the governor of a 'Commissioner of Labor Statistics' for a two-year term. In 1899 another act was passed providing that the commissioner, beginning with the general election of 1900, be elected by the people for a four-year term.
For three decades, the department over which this newly-elected commissioner presided remained a very small agency of state government with limited duties and personnel. In 1925, the department employed a total of 15 people. In a general reorganization of the state's labor administration functions in 1931, the General Assembly laid the broad groundwork for the Department of Labor's subsequent, gradual development into an agency administering laws and programs affecting a majority of North Carolina citizens.
Today, the North Carolina Department of Labor is charged by statute with promoting the 'health, safety and general well-being' of the state's more than three million working people. The many laws and programs under its jurisdiction affect virtually every person in the state in one way or another. The General Statutes provide the commissioner with broad regulatory and enforcement powers with which to carry out the department’s duties and responsibilities to the people.
List of Commissioners of Labor
- Wesley N. Jones, 1887-1889
- John C. Scarborough, 1889-1892
- William I. Harris, 1892-1893
- Benjamin R. LacyBenjamin R. LacyBenjamin Rice Lacy served as North Carolina Commissioner of Labor from 1893–1897 and 1899–1901, and as North Carolina State Treasurer from 1901–1929. Lacy died one month after taking office for his eighth term as Treasurer....
, 1893-1897 - James Y. Hamrick, 1897-1899
- Benjamin R. LacyBenjamin R. LacyBenjamin Rice Lacy served as North Carolina Commissioner of Labor from 1893–1897 and 1899–1901, and as North Carolina State Treasurer from 1901–1929. Lacy died one month after taking office for his eighth term as Treasurer....
, 1899-1901 - Henry B. Varner, 1901-1909
- Mitchell L. Shipman, 1909-1925
- Franklin D. Grist, 1925-1933
- Arthur L. Fletcher, 1933-1938
- Forest H. Shuford, 1938-1954
- Frank Crane, 1954-1973
- William C. Creel, 1973-1975
- Thomas A. Nye, Jr., 1975-1977
- John C. BrooksJohn C. BrooksJohn C. Brooks served as North Carolina Commissioner of Labor from 1977 to 1993. His tenure included the 1991 fire at a chicken-processing plant in Hamlet that killed 25 workers. Brooks fined the plant $808,150, which was the largest such penalty in state history, but which was criticized as...
, 1977-1993 - Harry E. Payne, Jr., 1993-2001
- Cherie K. BerryCherie K. BerryCherie Killian Berry is the current North Carolina Commissioner of Labor, a member of the North Carolina Council of State and head of the North Carolina Department of Labor....
, 2001-Present