Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries
Encyclopedia
The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) is an agency in the executive branch of the government
of the U.S. state
of Oregon
. It is headed by the Commissioner of Labor and Industries, a nonpartisan
, statewide elective
office. The term of office is four years. The current Commissioner is Brad Avakian
.
created the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Inspector of Factories and Workshops in response to public concerns about the effects industrialization on society. Its head, titled Commissioner, was initially appointed by the Governor. O. P. Hoff
, the initial appointee, was elected in 1906, and reelected in 1910 and 1914.
Dan Gardner of Milwaukie
was Commissioner from 2003–2008. He resigned in March 2008 to take a job with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
in Washington, D.C.
. He is the first Commissioner of BOLI to leave mid-term for another job.
He or she has enforcement responsibility for state laws prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodation, and vocational, professional and trade schools, and may initiate a “commissioner’s complaint” on behalf of victims.
The Commissioner administers state laws regulating wages, hours of employment, basic working conditions, child labor and wage rates; and is responsible for licensure of certain professions and industries. Final orders in contested cases are issued by the commissioner.
The Wage Security Fund that covers workers for unpaid wages in certain business closure situations, and enforcement of group-health insurance termination-notification provisions fall within the Commissioner's purview. He or she is also responsible for oversight of the state’s registered apprenticeship-training system.
Government of Oregon
The government of the U.S. state of Oregon, as prescribed by the Oregon Constitution, is composed of three government branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. It is headed by the Commissioner of Labor and Industries, a nonpartisan
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
, statewide elective
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
office. The term of office is four years. The current Commissioner is Brad Avakian
Brad Avakian
Bradley Paul "Brad" Avakian is the Commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. He was appointed by Governor Ted Kulongoski on April 8, 2008 and subsequently elected statewide on November 4, 2008...
.
History
In 1903, the Oregon Legislative AssemblyOregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
created the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Inspector of Factories and Workshops in response to public concerns about the effects industrialization on society. Its head, titled Commissioner, was initially appointed by the Governor. O. P. Hoff
O. P. Hoff
Ole P. Hoff was a Norwegian-American Republican politician and the first commissioner of labor in the U.S. state of Oregon...
, the initial appointee, was elected in 1906, and reelected in 1910 and 1914.
Dan Gardner of Milwaukie
Milwaukie, Oregon
Milwaukie is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A very small portion of the city extends into Multnomah County. The population was 20,291 at the 2010 census. Founded in 1848 on the banks of the Willamette River, the city, known as the Dogwood City of the West, was incorporated in...
was Commissioner from 2003–2008. He resigned in March 2008 to take a job with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is a labor union which represents workers in the electrical industry in the United States, Canada, Panama and several Caribbean island nations; particularly electricians, or Inside Wiremen, in the construction industry and linemen and other...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. He is the first Commissioner of BOLI to leave mid-term for another job.
Commissioner duties and responsibilities
The Commissioner serves as chief executive of the department-level Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, chairs the State Apprenticeship and Training Council, and acts as executive secretary of the Wage and Hour Commission.He or she has enforcement responsibility for state laws prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodation, and vocational, professional and trade schools, and may initiate a “commissioner’s complaint” on behalf of victims.
The Commissioner administers state laws regulating wages, hours of employment, basic working conditions, child labor and wage rates; and is responsible for licensure of certain professions and industries. Final orders in contested cases are issued by the commissioner.
The Wage Security Fund that covers workers for unpaid wages in certain business closure situations, and enforcement of group-health insurance termination-notification provisions fall within the Commissioner's purview. He or she is also responsible for oversight of the state’s registered apprenticeship-training system.
List of Commissioners
The following table displays a list of the eight individuals who have served as Commissioner since the office's inception, with their respective terms of office. Party affiliation is included for those individuals whose service began before the legislature made the position a nonpartisan office in 1995 (with the first nonpartisan election in 1998).| # | Name | Party | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | O. P. Hoff O. P. Hoff Ole P. Hoff was a Norwegian-American Republican politician and the first commissioner of labor in the U.S. state of Oregon... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
June 2, 1903 - January 6, 1919 |
| 2 | Charles H. Gram | Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
January 6, 1919 - January 4, 1943 |
| 3 | W. E. Kimsey | Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
January 4, 1943 - January 3, 1955 |
| 4 | Norman O. Nilsen | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
January 3, 1955 - January 6, 1975 |
| 5 | Bill Stevenson | Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
January 6, 1975 - January 1, 1979 |
| 6 | Mary Wendy Roberts | Democrat Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
January 1, 1979 - January 2, 1995 |
| 7 | Jack Roberts Jack Roberts (Oregon politician) Jack Roberts is a politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. A Republican, his highest office has been Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries, which he held from 1995 to 2003... |
Republican/Nonpartisan | January 2, 1995 - January 6, 2003 |
| 8 | Dan Gardner | Nonpartisan Nonpartisan In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation.... |
January 6, 2003 - April 7, 2008 |
| 9 | Brad Avakian Brad Avakian Bradley Paul "Brad" Avakian is the Commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. He was appointed by Governor Ted Kulongoski on April 8, 2008 and subsequently elected statewide on November 4, 2008... |
Nonpartisan Nonpartisan In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation.... |
April 8, 2008 - Current |