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Alaska Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development
| Alaska Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Nonpartisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $141,160 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $169,171,400 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | Serves at pleasure of the governor |
| Authority: | Alaska Statutes, Title 44, Chapter 31, Section 10 |
| Selection Method: | Appointed by the governor |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
Alaska Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development
Cathy Munoz | |
| Other Alaska Executive Offices | |
| Governor•Lieutenant Governor•Attorney General•Comptroller•Education Commissioner•Revenue Commissioner•Agriculture Director•Insurance Director•Natural Resources Commissioner•Labor Commissioner•Regulatory Commission | |
The Alaska Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development is a state executive position in the Alaska state government. The commissioner is principal executive officer of the Alaska Department of Labor, which enforces state labor laws, mediates disputes between employers and employees, and develops statistics concerning the Alaskan labor market.[1]
Current officeholder
The current officeholders are:
- Cathy Munoz (nonpartisan)
- Cathy Munoz
Authority
The authority of the commissioner of labor derives from statute, which states that he or she is the principal executive office of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.[2]
Alaska Statutes, Title 44, Chapter 31, Section 10
| The principal executive officer of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development is the commissioner of labor and workforce development. |
Qualifications
Like all principal executive officers in the Alaska government, the labor commissioner must "furnish corporate surety bonds in the instance and amount required by law," the cost of which is paid by the state. Otherwise, there are no special qualifications for the office of labor commissioner.[3]
Alaska Statutes, Title 44, Chapter 23, Section 50
| The principal executive officer of each department and subordinate officials shall furnish corporate surety bonds in the instance and amount required by law or determined by the governor upon recommendation of the commissioner of administration. The state shall pay the cost of the bond. The attorney general shall approve the form of the bond. |
Appointments
The labor commissioner, like all Alaska executive department heads, is appointed by the governor and subject to confirmation by a majority of the members of the legislature.[4]
Alaska Statutes, Title 39, Chapter 5, Section 20
| The governor shall appoint the head of each principal executive department in the state government. Each appointment is subject to confirmation by a majority of the members of the legislature in joint session. |
Term limits
There are no term limits for the office of labor commissioner. The officeholder serves at the pleasure of the governor.
Vacancies
Alaska law does not outline any particular procedure for dealing with vacancies. It is the governor's responsibility to appoint a new labor commissioner, subject to approval from the legislature.
Duties
According to the commissioner's office, the commissioner is "responsible for the overall management of the department's programs and resources; serves as liaison with other state, federal, and local government agencies, and the legislature; and acts on unemployment insurance appeals."[1] The commissioner's office also provides administrative support to the Occupational Safety and Health Review Board, which decides appeals of penalties issued by the Labor Department to employers that violate health and safety regulations.
State statute defines the duties of the whole Department of Labor as:[5]
- Enforce the laws and adopt regulations under them concerning employer-employee relationships
- Accumulate, analyze, and report labor statistics
- Operate systems of workers' compensation and unemployment insurance
- Gather data reflecting the cost of living in the various election districts of the state
- Operate the federally funded employment and training programs under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (adult basic education)
Divisions
As of January 6, 2021, divisions within the Department of Labor & Workforce Development included:[1]
- Office of the Commissioner
- Administrative Services
- Alaska Workforce Investment Board
- Alaska Vocational Technical Center
- Employment and Training Services
- Alaska Labor Relations Agency
- Labor Standards and Safety
- Business Partnerships
- Workers' Compensation
State budget
- See also: Alaska state budget and finances
The budget for the Department of Labor and Workforce Development in Fiscal Year 2025 was $169,171,400.[6]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
The Alaska Commissioner of Labor's salary is bound to a range determined by statute; it must be no less than Range 28 of the Alaska executive branch employee salary schedule nor more than Range 30.[7]
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $141,160, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $141,160, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2021
In 2021, the labor commissioner received a salary of $141,160, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2020
In 2020, the labor commissioner received a salary of $141,156 according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2019
In 2019, the labor commissioner received a salary of $141,156 according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2018
In 2018, the labor commissioner received a salary of $141,156 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2017
In 2017, the labor commissioner received a salary of $141,156 according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2016
In 2016, the labor commissioner received a salary of $141,156, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2015
In 2015, the labor commissioner received a salary of $137,712, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2014
In 2014, the commissioner of labor's salary increased to $136,350, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
2013
In 2013, the commissioner of labor was paid an estimated $135,000, according to the Council of State Governments.
Historical officeholders
There have been 18 Alaska commissioners of labor and workforce development since 1959.[18]
| List of Former Officeholders from 1959-Present | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | |||
| 1 | Lewis M. Dischner | 1959-1960 | |||
| 2 | Bjorn "Gil" Johnson | 1960-1966 | |||
| 3 | Thomas J. Moore | 1967-1970 | |||
| 4 | Henry A. Benson | 1970-1972 | |||
| 5 | Robert A. Smith | 1972-1974 | |||
| 6 | Edmund Orbeck | 1975-1982 | |||
| 7 | Jim Robison | 1982-1987 | |||
| 8 | Jim Sampson | 1987-1991 | |||
| 9 | Nancy Bear Usera | 1991-1992 | |||
| 10 | Charles Mahlen | 1992-1995 | |||
| 11 | Tom Cashen | 1995-1998 | |||
| 12 | Ed Flannagan | 1999-2002 | |||
| 13 | Greg O'Claray | 2003-2007 | |||
| 14 | Click Bishop | 2007-2012 | |||
| 15 | David G. Stone | 2012 | |||
| 16 | Dianne Blumer | 2012-2014 | |||
| 17 | Heidi Drygas | 2014-2019 | |||
| 18 | Tamika Ledbetter | 2019-Present | |||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Alaska Labor Commissioner. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact info
Mailing address:
PO Box 111149
Juneau, AK 99811
Phone: (907) 465-2700
Fax: (907) 465-2784
See also
| Alaska | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, "Commissioner's Office," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Alaska Legal Resource Center, "Alaska Statutes 44.31.010," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Alaska Legal Resource Center, "Alaska Statutes 39.05.050," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Alaska Legal Resource Center, "Alaska Statutes 39.05.020," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Alaska Legal Resource Center, "Alaska Statutes 44.31.020," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Alaska Office of Management and Budget, "Department Totals - FY2025," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑ Alaska Legal Resource Center, "Alaska Statutes 39.20.080," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 6, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed November 14, 2014
- ↑ Alaska State Library, Historical Collections,Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development List of commissioners and deputy commissioners 1959 – Present," accessed January 6, 2021
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