Said labor commissioner [director of the labor and industrial division] shall have the power to enter any store, factory, foundry, mill, office, workshop, mine or public or private works at any time during working hours and remain as long as necessary for the purpose of gathering facts and statistics contemplated by this act [50-1-1 to 50-1-8 NMSA 1978], and to examine safeguards and methods of protection from danger to employees, the sanitary conditions of the buildings and surroundings, and make a record thereof; and any owner, corporation, occupant or officer who shall refuse such entry to said labor commissioner [chief], his officers or agents, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than fifty dollars [($50.00)] nor more than five hundred dollars [($500)], or by imprisonment in the county jail not less than ten days nor more than thirty days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Provided, that said labor commissioner [director] or his agent or agents, shall, upon entering any store, factory, foundry, mill, office, workshop, mine or any other public or private works, notify the owner, manager, superintendent or anyone in charge of such place of labor, of his intention to make such visit of inspection, and such owner, manager, superintendent or party in charge, shall have the right, either by himself or agent, to accompany such commissioner [director], or his agent or agents, during the entire time he spends upon such premises.

And, provided, further, that it shall be unlawful for any such labor commissioner [director], his agent or agents, during the term of office to which such commissioner [director] shall have been appointed, to either directly or indirectly, verbally or by written or printed matter, advocate the organization, or changes in organization, or the attempt at disorganization of labor organization or labor unions, or to officially do any act either for or against any political party in the state of New Mexico. Any commissioner [director], or his agent or agents who fail to give such notice of such visit, or refuses such owner, manager, superintendent or party in charge, or his agent, the right to accompany him at all times on visits of inspection, provided for herein, or who participates in the organization, changing or disorganization of the labor union or labor association, contrary to the provisions hereof, or who officially does any act for or against any political party in the state of New Mexico, during his term of office, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined any sum not less than fifty dollars [($50.00)] nor more than five hundred dollars [($500)], or [punished] by imprisonment in the county jail of not less than ten days nor more than thirty days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

History: Laws 1931, ch. 9, § 11; 1941 Comp., § 57-111; 1953 Comp., § 59-1-11.

Repeals. — Section 50-1-9 NMSA 1978 provided for the delayed repeal of the labor and industrial commission, effective July 1, 2014. Laws 2007, ch. 200, § 24 repealed 50-1-9 NMSA 1978, effective July 1, 2007.

Bracketed material. — The bracketed material was inserted by the compiler and it is not part of the law.

Compiler's notes. — Laws 1987, ch. 342, § 33 provided that all references in law to the "labor commissioner" shall be construed as references to the "director of the labor and industrial division of the department of labor".

Laws 2007, ch. 200 repealed the labor department. Section 9-26-15 NMSA 1978 provides that all statutory references to the "labor department or any divisions of the labor department shall be deemed to be references to the workforce solutions department".

Aimed at enforcement. — The language of Sections 50-1-3, 50-1-7 NMSA 1978 and this section is aimed at enforcement of existing law rather than the making of new law by way of regulation. 1964 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 64-61.