Even as the Obama administration beefs up the Department of Labor enforcement staff, it may seek to augment the work of government investigators with input from unions and community organizations. Following an appearance before the House Education and Labor Committee earlier this year, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis endorsed the notion of enlisting outside groups to blow the whistle on companies that fail to pay employees what they’re owed or to provide a safe work environment. M. Patricia Smith, the new Labor Department chief legal officer, established a community policing program in 2009 when she was commissioner of labor in New York.

The proposed Labor Department budget for fiscal 2011 includes a 4 percent boost for worker protection. The Wage and Hour Division will receive a $20 million increase from the previous fiscal year to $244 million and hire 90 new investigators. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration budget of $573 million represents a $14 million increase from 2010. OSHA will hire 25 inspectors and move 35 staff to enforcement from compliance assistance jobs. Combined with the increased hiring during President Barack Obama’s first year, the Labor Department is restoring its enforcement workforce to 2001 levels. (click on link to read full story)