BallotPedia

WABE

As a State Senator, Lester sponsored SB 3 to raise the minimum dropout age of high schoolers from 16 to 17 to allow young people "to earn a diploma and build skills so that they can have better outcomes and be an asset to Georgia versus a liability."

Wants to help create "good jobs that pay a livable wage."

- As a State Senator, Lester sponsored SB 3 to raise the minimum dropout age of high schoolers from 16 to 17 to allow young people "to earn a diploma and build skills so that they can have better outcomes and be an asset to Georgia versus a liability."
- Wants to help create "good jobs that pay a livable wage."

Workers' Rights

Supports the "timely processing and payment of eligible unemployment insurance claims."

- Supports the "timely processing and payment of eligible unemployment insurance claims."

COVID

Wants to open more Career Centers in Georgia. He provided no further information about this topic.

- Wants to open more Career Centers in Georgia. He provided no further information about this topic.

Economy

Lester Jackson III

As of March 16, 2022, Nadia Surrency’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Said, "\[I want to] ensure the timely processing of all qualified unemployment insurance claims, recruit and hire added staff, and invest in modernized technology."

- Said, "\[I want to] ensure the timely processing of all qualified unemployment insurance claims, recruit and hire added staff, and invest in modernized technology."

Wants to launch mobile career centers across Georgia "to ensure every Georgian has the proper and immediate access to the GDOL services."

Wants to implement new technology in the Department.

Wants to provide workers with "full access to free learning resources to help develop their soft skills and learn new skills to compete in the job market."

Supports partnerships with "leading organizations, entrepreneurs, and businesses to ensure learning resources are readily available to Georgia Workers."

- Wants to launch mobile career centers across Georgia "to ensure every Georgian has the proper and immediate access to the GDOL services."
- Wants to implement new technology in the Department.
- Wants to provide workers with "full access to free learning resources to help develop their soft skills and learn new skills to compete in the job market."
- Supports partnerships with "leading organizations, entrepreneurs, and businesses to ensure learning resources are readily available to Georgia Workers."

Nadia Surrency

LinkedIn

Wants to "tackle systemic discrimination in Georgia’s job market" by working with the General Assembly to expand Georgia’s Fair Employment Practices Act so it covers all government agencies and private businesses.

Wants to "address recidivism" by working with prison transition centers across Georgia to help ex-convicts find jobs.

Says, "The Department of Labor should be a resource for Georgia’s workers. This means creating phone lines and websites through which people can make wage discrimination claims, misclassication claims (where you are treated as a contractor, but are working as a W2 employee), unsafe working conditions, and wage theft just to name a few".

Says,  discrimination claims "will also be tracked and made publically available".

- Wants to "tackle systemic discrimination in Georgia’s job market" by working with the General Assembly to expand Georgia’s Fair Employment Practices Act so it covers all government agencies and private businesses.
- Wants to "address recidivism" by working with prison transition centers across Georgia to help ex-convicts find jobs.
- Says, "The Department of Labor should be a resource for Georgia’s workers. This means creating phone lines and websites through which people can make wage discrimination claims, misclassication claims (where you are treated as a contractor, but are working as a W2 employee), unsafe working conditions, and wage theft just to name a few". 
- Says,  discrimination claims "will also be tracked and made publically available".

Wants to ensure the unemployment COVID safety net "works and unemployment benefits are paid quickly."

Wants to work with businesses to "grow workforce talent and mitigate layoffs."

Says, "My first priority would be to fix our broken unemployment insurance system...I will begin with an overhaul of the application and approval process, increase stang and implement better technology in the department".

Says, "I will throw open the doors of the Department of Labor and the Career Centers. We will not keep bank hours, so people have better access to these resources. I will increase sta ng so that phones are answered and people can receive the help they need to get unemployment and find a better job".

Wants to ensure mobile career centers are available to help unemployment.

- Wants to ensure the unemployment COVID safety net "works and unemployment benefits are paid quickly."
- Wants to work with businesses to "grow workforce talent and mitigate layoffs."
- Says, "My first priority would be to fix our broken unemployment insurance system...I will begin with an overhaul of the application and approval process, increase stang and implement better technology in the department". 
- Says, "I will throw open the doors of the Department of Labor and the Career Centers. We will not keep bank hours, so people have better access to these resources. I will increase sta ng so that phones are answered and people can receive the help they need to get unemployment and find a better job". 
- Wants to ensure mobile career centers are available to help unemployment.

Wants to improve the disbursement of unemployment benefits by updating technology and adequately staffing the department to make it easier for qualified individuals to receive benefits.

Supports the creation of mobile Career Centers to "allow the DOL to go to the areas hardest hit by unemployment and under-employment and be a better ally and resource."

Wants to encourage employee retention by implementing workshare programs that allow individuals to qualify for partial benefits when companies reduce hours instead of laying off workers.

Wants to encourage entrepreneurship by creating self-employment assistance programs to support unemployed individuals who are ready to start a new business.

Says, "There’s a significant and increasing demand for people who can work within technology jobs, software engineering, healthcare, and more. Creating and promoting apprenticeship programs, so more Georgians have a strong career, is one of the most powerful things we can do to strengthen the economy".

Says, "We need to create pathways that lead to better, higher paying jobs for Georgians. I will create those by working with union apprenticeship programs, as well as with businesses and universities for traditional white collar apprenticeship programs".

- Wants to improve the disbursement of unemployment benefits by updating technology and adequately staffing the department to make it easier for qualified individuals to receive benefits.
- Supports the creation of mobile Career Centers to "allow the DOL to go to the areas hardest hit by unemployment and under-employment and be a better ally and resource."
- Wants to encourage employee retention by implementing workshare programs that allow individuals to qualify for partial benefits when companies reduce hours instead of laying off workers. 
- Wants to encourage entrepreneurship by creating self-employment assistance programs to support unemployed individuals who are ready to start a new business.
- Says, "There’s a significant and increasing demand for people who can work within technology jobs, software engineering, healthcare, and more. Creating and promoting apprenticeship programs, so more Georgians have a strong career, is one of the most powerful things we can do to strengthen the economy". 
- Says, "We need to create pathways that lead to better, higher paying jobs for Georgians. I will create those by working with union apprenticeship programs, as well as with businesses and universities for traditional white collar apprenticeship programs".

Nicole Horn

As of March 14, 2022, Thomas Dean did not have a website or any information online.

Thomas Dean

Said, "\[I will put] Georgia Workers First through the implementation of services, policy recommendations to the Georgia General Assembly, and robust training/(re)training opportunities."

- Said, "\[I will put] Georgia Workers First through the implementation of services, policy recommendations to the Georgia General Assembly, and robust training/(re)training opportunities."

Wants to address the backlog of unemployment insurance claims by updating technology and increasing staff.

Wants to install modernized technology, hire additional staff, and implement new policies & procedures to be prepared for future natural disasters, public health emergencies, or an economic recession that can affect the State of Georgia.

- Wants to address the backlog of unemployment insurance claims by updating technology and increasing staff.
- Wants to install modernized technology, hire additional staff, and implement new policies & procedures to be prepared for future natural disasters, public health emergencies, or an economic recession that can affect the State of Georgia.

Wants to open more Career Centers throughout the State of Georgia.

Wants to merge business training programs, union apprenticeship programs, technical colleges, labor/community organizations, and vocational schools.

Wants to create a departmental program that encourages Georgia employers to recruit and hire Georgia workers trained to meet these employers’ needs.

- Wants to open more Career Centers throughout the State of Georgia.
- Wants to merge business training programs, union apprenticeship programs, technical colleges, labor/community organizations, and vocational schools.
- Wants to create a departmental program that encourages Georgia employers to recruit and hire Georgia workers trained to meet these employers’ needs.

Will Boddie

- The Labor Commissioner is responsible for implementing the state's labor regulations, such as maintaining the minimum wage and enforcing child labor protections. 
- The Labor Commissioner is responsible for operating Georgia’s unemployment benefits program and rehabilitation programs. During the COVID pandemic, this role has become increasingly important as more people have lost their jobs and have filed for unemployment insurance and other related benefits. 
- In addition to these primary responsibilities, the Labor Commissioner produces statistics and research covering the Georgia labor market. The Labor Commissioner also creates workforce development and training programs, such as the GeorgiaBEST high school certificate vocational program. 
- The Labor Commissioner is elected to 4-year terms in a statewide election. There are no term limits for the Labor Commissioner and the salary is typically around $122,000/year.