Lasting Workplace improvements after Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

Mary Anne Trasciatti, Director of Labor Studies at Hofstra University and President of the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition, joined America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the 113th anniversary of the deadly fire in 1911. Trasciatti talked about how the aftermath of the fire helped workers in the garment industry, the new memorial and how it educates the public.   

Today, March 25, is the 113th anniversary of the tragic fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in Greenwich Village in Manhattan, N.Y. The fire is one of the deadliest industrial disasters in the United States and the most lethal in the state. 146 garment workers, mostly women and younger girls, died during the fire. The high death count is due in part to the fact that doors to the stairwells and exits were locked to prevent unauthorized breaks, and the building didn’t have sprinklers installed at the time.

Trasciatti talked about the disaster's role in furthering workplace safety. Legislation that required improved factory safety standards, including fire safety requirements, was passed following the fire. Trasciatti also discussed the fire's role in growing and empowering the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) to fight for better working conditions. She discussed how Frances Perkins, an eyewitness, would become an activist and eventually serve as the United States Secretary of Labor, where she worked tirelessly to ensure workers received the proper protections.

As a Director of Labor Studies at Hofstra, Trasciatti discussed how she uses the events of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire to teach students. As part of her desire to educate the public about the fire, she joined an effort to develop a memorial to those who lost their life in the fire. Trasciatti believes the new memorial will inspire her students and unions as they continue to organize and protect workers. She said the monument isn’t complete, but the support from unions has helped create the first labor memorial and one of a few memorials to women in New York City. 

Listen to the show above to hear more about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, and its impact on the labor movement.