City Employee Memorial Unveiled

Councilmember LaBonge holds a microphone as an Ann Street Elementary School second grader leads the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Councilmember LaBonge served as master of ceremonies today at the Annual City Employee Memorial ceremony at the Department of Water and Power headquarters on Hill St. The ceremony culminated with the unveiling of a monument memorializing 218 Department of Water and Power workers who have died on the job since 1922.
"As we begin Memorial Day weekend, it is fitting that we honor the city employees and their families who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the Ctiy of Los Angeles," said Councilmember Tom LaBonge. "It's also fitting that we moved the ceremony here from City Hall since the Department of Water and Power has lost more employees than any other department in the city."
The families of many of the lost DWP employees attended the moving ceremony, as did several hundred city employees.
"This monument is a testament to the extraordinarily dangerous work that DWP employees do every day of the week, and which most Los Angeles residents really know nothing about," said David Nahai, LADWP CEO and General Manager, adding: "When you look at this monument you will see that one side is completely full with 218 names, and the other side is blank. I believe we owe it to those whose names appear on one side to make sure that no name ever appears on the other side." To see more photos from this event, click on the Photo Gallery link at the top of the page.