The Triangle Factory Fire and its impact on labor and safety reform

Mary Anne Trasciatti, , joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and its impact on labor reform, as well as her coalition’s efforts to establish a memorial to the tragedy in New York City.

Trasciatti, who is also the Director of Labor Studies and a Professor of Rhetoric and Public Advocacy at Hofstra University, spoke about the fire as part of AWF’s commemoration of Workers’ Memorial Day, a day to pay respect to those who lost their lives at work or became seriously ill due to working conditions.

One of the deadliest industrial disasters in U.S. history, the Triangle Factory fire killed 146 garment workers, some as young as 14. Doors to stairways and exits were locked, which was a common practice at the time to prevent unauthorized work breaks. With the doors locked in the raging inferno, many workers jumped to their deaths or were burned alive in the building.

The public was horrified by the tragedy, and it motivated politicians to push for reform, Trasciatti said. Many of today’s safety codes, such as mandatory fire drills, maximum occupancy limits and fire extinguisher codes were a direct result of the public outcry resulting from the fire, she noted.

Trasciatti then talked about her coalition’s efforts to build the Triangle Fire Memorial. The memorial will be attached to the Brown Building, where the fire took place. This huge undertaking was financed by a $1.5 million grant provided by the State of New York. However, the grant is not enough as the coalition discovered structural issues in the building and will need to raise an additional $950,000 to cover the cost to repair the structure.

Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.