WAUSAU – About 50 people, including several state lawmakers gathered Friday to honor fallen workers on National Workers Memorial Day.
April 28 is National Workers Memorial Day, declared by the United States Department of Labor. Memorials are held nationwide each year to honor workers who died while in the workplace.
The highly emotional event, held at Oak Island Park, honored people who have died within the past year while on the job. The four killed in shootings on March 22 in the Wausau area were remembered, including Everest Metro Detective Jason Weiland. Marathon County Sheriff Scott Parks spoke at the event.
Local workers honored this year:
Production Worker: Daniel Ollhoff, June 14, 2016
Welder: Nicholas Smith, Dec. 14, 2016
Welder: Jeffrey J. Jones Jr., Jan. 15, 2017
Branch Manager: Diane Look, March 22, 2017
Customer Service Representative: Karen Barclay March 22, 2017
Lawyer: Sara Quirt Sann March 22,2017
Everest Metro Detective: Jason Weiland March 22, 2017
Construction Worker: Shane Cash March 23, 2017
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 4,800 people died from injuries received on the job in 2015, the most recent data available.
A moment of silence was observed at the State Capitol to remember those lost. Other events to remember workers in Wisconsin were held in Milwaukee and Eau Claire.
