Cheri Helt and Christina Stephenson vie for the nonpartisan Commissioner of Labor and Industries seat, a role that oversees all programs of the Bureau of Labor and Industries
The Oregon Commissioner of Labor and Industries, or labor commissioner, is a nonpartisan, elected position that manages and oversees all programs of the Bureau of Labor and Industries, or BOLI. The term for the position is four years.
The current labor commissioner, Val Hoyle, a Democrat, is retiring after her first term as labor commissioner to run to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Oregon in the U.S. Congress.
There are four principal duties for the position, according to the bureau.
The first is to protect the rights of workers to receive equal, non-discriminatory treatment at work, in housing and public accommodations through the enforcement of anti-discrimination laws. The second principle is to enforce and encourage compliance with wages, hours, terms and conditions of employment. The third is to train employers to comply with civil rights, wage and hour laws. Finally, the commissioner is tasked with developing a skilled workforce through the application of the state’s apprenticeship program and collaborating with labor, business, government and educational institutions.
BOLI oversees approximately 130 employees and a budget of about $30 million.
Cheri Helt is a 51-year-old former Republican state representative and a former member of the Bend-LaPine school board. She...
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