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| About Us |
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| Vision |
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The Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) was created by the 1903 Legislature. The first labor commissioner, O.P. Hoff, was also the Bureau's first and only employee, responsible for enforcing child labor laws, the 10-hour working day for women and the factory inspection law. Today the Bureau's Civil Rights Division, Wage and Hour Division, Apprenticeship Division and Technical Assistance for Employers Program serve Oregonians in a variety of ways. BOLI has offices in Portland, Salem, Eugene, Bend, Medford and Pendleton, employs 106 people and has a total, two-year budget of approximately $20 million.
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| Mission Statement |
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The Bureau of Labor and Industries promotes the development of a highly-skilled, competitive workforce in Oregon through partnerships with government, labor, business, and educational institutions. It protects the rights of workers and citizens to equal, non-discriminatory treatment; encourages and enforces compliance with state laws relating to wages, hours, terms and conditions of employment; and advocates policies that balance the demands of the workplace and employers with the protections of workers and their families.
Oregonians who feel they have been discriminated against or who have not received their proper wages can call the Bureau of Labor and Industries or visit our web site for information and for help filing a complaint. The Bureau also promotes development of a skilled work force through its apprenticeship and training programs and provides education to the state's employers through its technical assistance services.
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| Organization |
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Annual Performance Measures
Labor Commissioner
Oregon State Apprenticeship and Training Council
Wage and Hour Commission
Advisory Committee on Prevailing Wage Rate Law
Oregon Council on Civil and Human Rights
Civil Rights Division
Enforce civil rights laws
Investigate civil rights complaints
Advise and educate workers about their civil rights
Wage and Hour Division
Investigate wage complaints
Enforce child labor laws
License farm and forest labor contractors
Administer prevailing wage rate laws
Enforce minimum wage and wage collection laws
Advise and educate workers about wage and hour laws
Apprenticeship and Training Division
Register apprentices
Work with industry to establish apprenticeship programs
Monitor apprenticeship committee compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity laws
Commissioner's Office and Support Services
Develop policy
Provide accounting and data processing services to the agency
Provide public information
Advise and educate employers about compliance issues
Hold contested case hearings and issue legal decisions
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| Programs |
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The Wage and Hour Division serves Oregon wage earners by enforcing laws covering state minimum wage and overtime requirements, working conditions, child labor, farm and forest labor contracting, and wage collection. The division enforces the payment of prevailing wage rates required to be paid to construction workers on public works projects. BOLI determines and publishes prevailing wage rates based on an annual construction industry survey.
Many people seeking help from the Bureau have lost their jobs and rely on the agency to collect wages owed. The division pays workers whose employers have gone out of business without sufficient funds to pay their final wages through the Wage Security Fund. Often those receiving protection are the most economically vulnerable workers or minors and farm workers, who are not well informed of their rights.
Quick Facts
- 3,000 wage claims are filed annually.
- The division collects an average of $1.5 million a year in wages owed to workers.
- The division issues 5,000 certificates each year to employers of minors.
- The division paid out over $1.2 million in wages due in 2003-04 to more than 900 workers through the Wage Security Fund.
- Compliance specialists conduct over 200 prevailing wage rate investigations a year.
For information on filing a claim call: 971-673-0761 in Portland; 541-686-7623 in Eugene; 541-776-6270 in Medford; or 503-378-3292 in Salem.
Spanish speakers are available in Portland, Salem and Medford.
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