The Oklahoma Department of Labor (ODOL) is an Oklahoma government agency headed by the Oklahoma Labor Commissioner, a state-elected position. ODOL is responsible for overseeing the administration of all state laws relating to occupational safety and workplace and collecting and publishing information on Oklahoma labor.
Until his death in August 2015, Commissioner of Labor was Mark Costello, a Republican, who defeated Lloyd Fields, a Democrat in the November 2010 election. In November 2015, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin appointed Melissa McLawhorn Houston to serve Costello's remaining term. Houston said he would not seek re-election in the 2018 election.
Video Oklahoma Department of Labor
Responsibility
ODOL is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the country's minimum wages, enforcing State labor laws, supervising workers' compensation insurance compliance programs, managing private employment agencies, and investigating and mediating unpaid wage disputes.
In addition, ODOL has jurisdiction for inspection of welded steam lines, boilers and pressure vessels, elevators, amusements and water rides, and water heaters at public facilities. The department is responsible for certification of welding workers and testing laboratories as well as regulations and certification of asbestos workers. ODOL is also a major enforcement agency for occupational safety and health for public employees throughout the State.
Maps Oklahoma Department of Labor
History
In August 1907, delegates from the Twin County Federation of Workers, Farmers' Union, and Railway Brotherhood met in Shawnee and formulated a list of 24 demands for upcoming constitutional conventions. The 12th request requested the creation of the State Department of Labor and Trade.
Consequently, when the new state constitution was ratified by delegates to a constitutional convention in 1907, the Oklahoma Department of Labor was formed. Since its establishment, the Oklahoma Department of Labor has been functioning continuously for over 100 years under the direction of 18 different Commissioners and 22 governors.
Oklahoma's first employment commissioner was Charles A. Daugherty, who served for two four-year periods from 1907 to 1915, under the Governor of C.N. Haskell and Lee Cruce. At that time, the Department of Labor was located in Guthrie, as were all state agencies. The original staff consists of five persons: a commissioner; an assistant commissioner; state factory inspector; a supervisor of the State Free Labor Bureau; and a stenographer.
In large part due to the infusion of federal funds from Wagner-Peyser and Social Security guarantees, the Oklahoma Employment Service and the Unemployment and Unemployment Division of the Oklahoma Department of Labor have grown to include more than 300 employees in 33 statewide offices in 1940. Federal grants accounted for 85 percent of the funds budgeted for this activity.
Then, in 1941, the 18th Legislature changed the Oklahoma Unemployment Compensation Act extensively, renamed the Oklahoma Security Act, and renamed the Administration of the Labor Commissioner to the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. In FY 1940-41, the Department of Labor has reduced up to 16 employees operating only 11 percent from the previous year's budget.
Today the Department of Labor has 112 official staff with two offices: one in Oklahoma City and one in Tulsa. The current Commissary of Labor is Mark Costello who was chosen by the people in November 2010 and served in January 2011.
Division
As head of the Department of Labor, the Labor Commissioner oversees, directs and controls the following institutions the Labor Division:
- The Commissary of Labor
- Deputy Commissioner
- Administration Division - provides administrative support and handles Department business functions, including responsibilities for communication, finance and accounting, human resources, purchasing, research, agency legal services, affairs legislative and constituent services, information technology and data processing services, letters and receipts
- Financial Units
- The Legal Issues Unit
- Information Technology Unit
- Asbestos Reduction Division - is responsible for ensuring asbestos reduction projects are conducted safely and in accordance with the law, as well as managing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant program to manage asbestos hazards in schools
- Employment Standards Division
- Child Labor Unit - responsible for enforcement of the Oklahoma Child Labor statute
- Unit Wages and Clocks - are responsible for processing all wage claims under the jurisdiction of the Department of Labor
- Workers' Compensation Enforcement Unit - ensure that all employers comply with the Oklahoma Workers Compensation Act by providing appropriate coverage to their employees
- The Public Health and Safety Division (PEOSH) - provides consultation and enforcement services to public sector employers to protect public employees from accident and workplace injuries.
- OSHA Safety Payout Consultation Division - provides free, confidential, voluntary and non-punitive health and safety consulting services for private sector companies in the state
- Safety Standard Division - organizes the installation, operation and maintenance of boilers, pressure vessels, hot water heaters and amusement rides, and also regulates welding practices
- Licensor Unit - handles statewide licenses for asbestos, welding, welding test facilities and welding inspectors, entertainment, alarms, locksmiths, fire sprinklers, elevators, alternative fuels , and boiler/pressure vessels.
- Statistical Analysis Research Division - is responsible for conducting a work safety and health survey in conjunction with the United States Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics and to provide incident and research information to assist safety officials with their safety program.
- Administration Division - provides administrative support and handles Department business functions, including responsibilities for communication, finance and accounting, human resources, purchasing, research, agency legal services, affairs legislative and constituent services, information technology and data processing services, letters and receipts
- Deputy Commissioner
Staffing
The Department of Labor, with an annual budget of more than $ 7 million, is one of the smaller companies of the State. For the 2010 fiscal year, the Department authorized 104 full-time employees.
References
See also
- Oklahoma Labor Commissioner
- Governor of Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Occupational Safety Commission
External links
- the Oklahoma Labor Department official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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