Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries

Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industry
General information
Office Type:	Nonpartisan
Office website:	Official Link
Compensation:	$77,000
2023-25 FY Budget:	$53,637,599
Term limits:	None
Structure
Length of term:	4 years
Authority:	Oregon Statutes, Chapter 651
Selection Method:	Elected
Current Officeholder
Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries Christina Stephenson Nonpartisan Assumed office: January 2, 2023
Elections
Next election:	November 3, 2026
Last election:	November 8, 2022
Other Oregon Executive Offices
Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission

The Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries is a nonpartisan, elected state executive position in the Oregon state government. Commissioners serve a term of four years. The position was created by the Oregon Legislature in 1903. It became nonpartisan in 1995.

Current officeholder

The current Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries is Christina Stephenson (nonpartisan). Stephenson assumed office in 2023.

Authority

The office of Oregon commissioner of labor and industries is established in Chapter 651 of the Oregon Statutes.

“

651.020 Bureau of Labor and Industries. The Bureau of Labor and Industries hereby is established as a separate department of this state. [Amended by 1979 c.659 §2] 651.030 Commissioner; election; term; qualifications. (1) The Bureau of Labor and Industries shall be under the control of the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries which office hereby is created.

”

The Oregon State Legislature created the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Inspector of Factories and Workshops in 1903. The head was originally known as the labor commissioner, but was changed to Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Inspector of Factories and Workshops in 1918. The name was changed again in 1930 to Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and in 1979 to the current Commissioner of Labor and Industries. The office was made nonpartisan by the Legislature in 1995.

Qualifications

Oregon commissioners of labor and industries must be:

• a citizen of Oregon
• a resident of Oregon for over five years

Chapter 651, Section 651.030 of the Oregon Statutes establishes the qualifications of office as such:

The Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries shall be a citizen of this state who has been a resident of this state for over five years.

Vacancies

Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Article V, Section 16.

If a vacancy occurs, the governor has the power to fill the vacancy by appointment until a successor is elected and qualified. If the vacancy occurs more than 61 days before a general election, the vacancy will be filled in that election.

Duties

The commissioner of labor and industries manages and oversees all programs of the Bureau of Labor and Industries.

On its site the bureau lists four principal duties:

“

Protect the rights of workers and individuals to equal, non-discriminatory treatment through the enforcement of anti-discrimination laws that apply to workplaces, housing and public accommodations Encourage and enforce compliance with state laws relating to wages, hours, terms and conditions of employment Educate and train employers to understand and comply with both wage and hour and civil rights law Promote the development of a highly skilled, competitive workforce in Oregon through the apprenticeship program and through partnerships with government, labor, business, and educational institutions.

”

Elections

Oregon state government organizational chart

See also: Oregon down ballot state executive elections, 2014

Oregon began electing labor and industries commissioners to four-year terms on mid-term years in 2014. For Oregon, 2014 and 2018 were labor and industries commissioner election years. The 2012 election was for a two-year term to offset the office's election cycle.

2022

See also: Oregon Labor Commissioner election, 2022

General election

General election for Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries

Christina Stephenson defeated Cheri Helt in the general election for Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Christina Stephenson (Nonpartisan)	60.7	916,455
		Cheri Helt (Nonpartisan)	38.6	582,609
		Other/Write-in votes	0.7	9,826

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,508,890
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries

The following candidates ran in the primary for Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Christina Stephenson (Nonpartisan)	47.2	421,619
✔		Cheri Helt (Nonpartisan)	19.2	171,168
		Casey Kulla (Nonpartisan)	14.1	126,036
		Brent Barker (Nonpartisan)	11.4	101,576
	Submit photo	Robert Neuman (Nonpartisan)	3.6	32,331
		Chris Henry (Nonpartisan)	2.6	22,936
	Submit photo	Aaron Baca (Nonpartisan)	1.6	14,217
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	3,922

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 893,805
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

See also: Oregon Labor Commissioner election, 2018

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries

Val Hoyle won election outright against Lou Ogden and Jack Howard in the primary for Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries on May 15, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Val Hoyle (Nonpartisan)	52.5	375,762
		Lou Ogden (Nonpartisan)	35.5	253,977
		Jack Howard (Nonpartisan)	12.1	86,477

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 716,216
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2014

Avakian won the election without opposition.

Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Nonpartisan	Brad Avakian Incumbent	98.3%	406,798
	Nonpartisan	Write-ins	1.7%	7,153
Total Votes				413,951
Election results Oregon Secretary of State

Full History

To view the electoral history dating back to 2002 for the office of Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries, click [show] to expand the section.

2012 See also: Oregon down ballot state executive elections, 2012 Brad Avakian defeated challenger Bruce Starr for re-election on November 6, 2012. 2012 General Election Results for Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries General Election, 2012 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Brad Avakian* (D) Incumbent 52.5% 681,987      Nonpartisan Bruce Starr* (R) 46.7% 606,735      Nonpartisan Write-in 0.7% 9,616 Total Votes 1,298,338 Election results via Oregon Secretary of State 2008 On November 4, 2008, Brad Avakian won election to the office of Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries. He defeated Pavel Goberman and Mark Welyczko in the general election. Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries, 2008 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Brad Avakian 67.2% 690,000      Nonpartisan Pavel Goberman 18% 184,919      Nonpartisan Mark Welyczko 13.2% 135,666      Misc. Various 1.6% 16,056 Total Votes 1,026,641 Election results via Oregon Secretary of State. 2006 On May 16, 2006, Dan Gardner won re-election to the office of Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries. He ran unopposed in the general election. Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries, 2006 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Dan Gardner Incumbent 98.8% 443,347      Misc. Various 1.2% 5,336 Total Votes 448,683 Election results via Oregon Secretary of State. 2002 On May 21, 2002, Dan Gardner won election to the office of Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries. He defeated Victor Hoffer, Pavel Goberman and Don Frazier in the general election. Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Dan Gardner 56.2% 349,457      Nonpartisan Don Frazier 22.5% 140,034      Nonpartisan Victor Hoffer 15% 93,159      Nonpartisan Pavel Goberman 5.8% 36,087      Misc. Various 0.4% 2,527 Total Votes 621,264 Election results via Oregon Secretary of State.

Divisions

The Bureau of Labor and Industries, which the commissioner oversees, has four major divisions, described as follows in the 2019-2021 state budget analysis:

“

Civil Rights – Enforcement of laws that prohibit unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodation, and career schools. These protections are provided based on: race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, and injured worker status. Protection is also provided against retaliation for filing civil rights complaints, and for reporting illegal activity (“whistleblower” protection) or violations of family leave laws. Wage and Hour – Enforcement of laws relating to wages and hours worked (including prevailing wage rates on public works contracts) and terms and conditions of employment; investigation of claims and complaints from workers involving wages and working conditions, including minimum wage and overtime; protection of children in the workplace; enforcement of regulations pertaining to private employment agencies; determination and enforcement of prevailing wage rates for public works projects; licensing and regulation of farm, forest, and construction labor contractors and janitorial firms; and enforcement of newly-enacted sick leave requirements. Apprenticeship and Training – Regulation of apprenticeship programs that promote the development of a highly skilled workforce. Commissioner’s Office – Provides policy direction, distributes information to the public, interprets labor and civil rights law, issues proposed and final orders in contested cases regarding civil rights and wage and hour cases, provides information and training to employers, and provides central administrative services for the agency.

”

State budget

See also: Oregon state budget and finances

The budget for the Bureau of Labor and Industries for the 2023-25 biennium was $53,637,599.

Compensation

See also: Compensation of state executive officers

See statutes: Chapter 292, Section 311 of the Oklahoma Statutes

The commissioner, along with the rest of Oregon's elected executives, is entitled to an annual salary, payable monthly, in accordance with Title 28, Chapter 292, Section 311 (§ 292.311) of the Oregon Statutes. The amount of compensation the commissioner receives was set at $77,000 beginning January 1, 2014, plus $250 per month regularly for miscellaneous, job-related expenses.

2023

In 2023, the officer's salary was $77,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $77,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2021

In 2021, the commissioner received a salary of $77,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2020

In 2020, the commissioner received a salary of $77,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2019

In 2019, the commissioner received a salary of $77,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2018

In 2018, the commissioner received a salary of $77,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2017

In 2017, the commissioner received a salary of $77,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2016

In 2016, the commissioner received a salary of $77,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2015

In 2015, the commissioner received a salary of $77,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2014

In 2014, the commissioner was paid an estimated $77,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2013

In 2013, the commissioner was paid an estimated $72,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

Historical officeholders

Since 1903, Oregon has had ten labor commissioners. Prior to the office becoming nonpartisan in 1995, four were Republican and three were Democratic.

Click "show" for former officeholders.

Number	Name	Took office	Left office	Party
1	O.P. Hoff	June 2, 1903	January 6, 1919	Republican
2	C.H. Gram	January 6, 1919	January 4, 1943	Republican
3	W.E. Kimsey	January 4, 1943	January 3, 1955	Republican
4	Norman Nilsen	January 3, 1955	January 6, 1975	Democratic
5	Bill Stevenson	January 6, 1975	January 1, 1979	Democratic
6	Mary Wendy Roberts	January 1, 1979	January 2, 1995	Democratic
7	Jack Roberts	January 2, 1995	January 6, 2003	Republican
8	Dan Gardner	January 6, 2003	April 7, 2008	Nonpartisan
9	Brad Avakian	April 8, 2008	January 6, 2019	Nonpartisan
10	Val Hoyle	January 7, 2019	January 2, 2023	Nonpartisan
11	Christina Stephenson	January 2, 2023	Present	Nonpartisan

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries - Google News

Contact information

800 NE Oregon St., Suite 1045
Portland, OR 97232
Email: BOLI_help@boli.oregon.gov
Phone: 971-245-3844

External links

Suggest a link

• Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries