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West Virginia Commissioner of Labor
| West Virginia Commissioner of Labor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Nonpartisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $85,000 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $5,300,399 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | Four years, concurrent with the term of the governor |
| Authority: | Chapters 21 and 47 of the West Virginia Code |
| Selection Method: | Appointed by Governor |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
West Virginia Commissioner of Labor
Mitchell Woodrum | |
| Other West Virginia Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education• Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner• Natural Resources Commissioner • Secretary of Commerce • Commissioner of Labor • Public Service Commission | |
The West Virginia Commissioner of Labor is an appointed state executive position in the West Virginia state government. The commissioner is the head of the state Division of Labor, which falls under the jurisdiction of the West Virginia Secretary of Commerce, and is responsible for inspections, licensing, and labor law enforcement across the state.[1]
Current officeholder
The current West Virginia Commissioner of Labor is Mitchell Woodrum (nonpartisan). Woodrum assumed office in 2017.
Authority
The state Department of Labor and the authority of the commissioner are established in Chapter 21, Article 1 of the West Virginia Code:[2]
Chapter 21, Article 1, Section 1:
| There shall be a state department of labor, which shall be under the control and management of a state commissioner of labor. |
As established under §47-1-3, the commissioner of labor also holds the title and powers of the office known as commissioner of weights and accounts.[3]
Qualifications
There are no set qualifications for the office of labor commissioner. The West Virginia Code, under §21-1, states only that "the commissioner shall be a competent person, who is identified with the labor interests of the state."[2]
Appointments
Chapter 21, Article 1 also establishes the method of selection and term schedule for the office of labor commissioner:[2]
|
The state Commissioner of Labor shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. He or she shall be a competent person, who is identified with the labor interests of the state. The Commissioner of Labor in office on the effective date of this section shall, unless sooner removed, continue to serve until his or her term expires and his or her successor has been appointed and has qualified. On or before the first day of April, one thousand nine hundred forty-one, and on or before the first day of April of each fourth year thereafter, the Governor shall appoint a Commissioner of Labor to serve for a term of four years, commencing on said first day of April. |
Vacancies
Vacancies in the office of labor commissioner are filled by gubernatorial appointment with the consent of the state Senate. The appointee continues to serve at the pleasure of the governor until their successor has been appointed and confirmed.[2]
Duties
The West Virginia Division of Labor falls under the purview of the state Department of Commerce. The division conducts inspections of measurement devices, amusement rides, manufactured homes, elevators, and boilers. It licenses contractors, crane operators, and plumbers and enforces the state's labor and wage laws and regulations.[1]
Chapters 21 and 47 of the West Virginia Code elaborates on the duties of the commissioner. The officeholder, or their authorized representative, is authorized to enter any work place in the state to collect information relating to workers, wages, and working conditions. West Virginia's principal factories and workshops are inspected once a year, and the commissioner will inspect any work place if three or more citizens lodge complaints with the office. The commissioner also provides an annual written report to the governor.[4] In his or her capacity as commissioner of weights and measures, the commissioner of labor is vested with additional powers and duties with respect to the enforcement of Chapter 47, Article 1 of the state code. Among them, the commissioner has special police powers and is authorized to arrest, without formal warrant, any violator of the article.[3]
Divisions
As of January 29, 2021, departments within the Division of Labor included:[1]
- Fees
- Licensing
- Manufactured Housing
- Safety
- Wage & Hour
- Weights & Measures
State budget
- See also: West Virginia state budget and finances
The budget for the Division of Labor in Fiscal Year 2025 was $5,300,399.[5]
Compensation
Chapter 6, Article 7-2 of the West Virginia Code lays out the exact compensation for certain state officers. According to this section of the state code, the salary of the commissioner of labor, beginning in 2006 and for each calendar year thereafter, shall be $70,000.[6]
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $85,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2021
In 2021, the commissioner received a salary of $70,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2020
In 2020, the commissioner received a salary of $70,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2019
In 2019, the commissioner received a salary of $70,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2018
In 2018, the commissioner received a salary of $70,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2017
In 2017, the commissioner received a salary of $70,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2016
In 2016, the commissioner received a salary of $70,504 according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2015
In 2015, the commissioner received a salary of $70,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2014
In 2014, the commissioner received a salary of $70,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2013
In 2013, the commissioner's salary remained at $70,000.[17]
2010
In 2010, the commissioner received a salary of $70,000 according to the Council of State Governments.[18]
Historical officeholders
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the West Virginia Commissioner of Labor has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms West Virginia Commissioner of Labor. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
West Virginia Division of Labor
1900 Kanawha Boulevard East
State Capitol Complex - Building 3, Room 200
Charleston, WV 25305
Phone: (304) 558-7890
See also
| West Virginia | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 West Virginia Code, "Chapter 21, Article 1," accessed January 29, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 West Virginia Legislature, "West Virginia Code - CHAPTER 47. REGULATION OF TRADE, ARTICLE 1. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES," accessed January 29, 2021
- ↑ West Virginia Code, "Chapter 21: Labor," accessed January 29, 2021
- ↑ West Virginia Legislature, "Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 200," accessed January 23, 2025
- ↑ West Virginia Code, "Chapter 6, Article 7-2," accessed January 29, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 21, 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 28, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 29, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 29, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 29, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 29, 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 December 8, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 31, 2014
- ↑ The Council of State Governments, "The Book of States 2010 Table 4.11," accessed April 23, 2011
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