One of the worst tragedies in American history has become popularly known as the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. It is a term used to refer to an incident in 1991 when a fire broke out on the top floors of the Asch Building , which housed the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in New York City (OSHA, 2020). The 25th March late afternoon incident claimed the lives of one hundred and forty-six workers, mainly young Italian and Jewish women aged between 14 and 43 years (OSHA, 2020). It marked the deadliest disaster in the workplace until 9/11 (OSHA, 2020). Other than the magnitude of the fire, the events that preceded the event and those that followed make it very significant in American history. This paper analyses some of how this tragic incident shaped the American industrial sector.
The company was located on the 8th, 9th, and 10th floors of the building. It had no washrooms, so the women ad to go out to use the bathroom (AFL-CIO, 2020). The management was against this move, which it termed interruption of work. As such, the doors were usually locked, and only the foreman had the keys. When the fire broke out, the women had nowhere to run to. The firefighters’ ladders were too short to reach the upper floors forcing most of those trapped inside to jump to their deaths (AFL-CIO, 2020). Earlier own before this incident, the workers had held a series of protests demanding improvement of the working conditions, including doors being locked. Their protests had, however, borne no fruits (AFL-CIO, 2020). It is such circumstances that contributed to the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire’s high number of casualties.
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The disaster struck at a time when American industrial work was undergoing significant historical change. The business was expanding, and the country witnessed an unprecedented increase in the number of immigrants (Library of Congress, 2020). Competition for jobs was at an all-time high. Workplaces became overcrowded just as the American cities, and the already horrid working conditions deteriorated. Social activists under the of p rogressivism were championing for reforms. They endeavored to make big businesses responsible and improve factories' working conditions through regulations of various kinds. However, the Progressive moment failed to achieve some of its goals due to various reasons. First, most of the labor-related laws fronted by the progressives were declared illegal and unenforceable by the federal court system (Library of Congress, 2020). Moreover, the reform efforts were permeated by racism. More attention was given to matters affecting white Americans, while the non-Caucasus Americans lived in marginalization and discrimination.
After the catastrophe, the workplace struggles became a matter of public concern. Progressivism stopped being a racial phenomenon and instead addressed issues with a more comprehensive approach. Besides, the national workplace and health protection laws were enacted with little court interference (Davis, 2020). The fire incident boosted progressivism efforts. Furthermore, it elicited action from ordinary workers, labor pioneers, community leaders, and safety advocates, united by a vision for a better America to lay the foundation for the legislation that ensures the safety and health of the American labor force. Workers unions and labor organizations such as the Women’s Trade Union League were reinforced. The event marked a turning point for the plight of workers hence its significance to American labor history.
Every year Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) leads Americans in commemorating workers’ protection. However, many may not understand the role the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire tragedy played in shaping the history of the country. Nonetheless, it is evident that the general awakening that drives the country's commitment by making workplaces safe and healthy mostly originated from the tragedy.
References
AFL-CIO. (2020). Triangle shirtwaist fire . America's Unions | AFL-CIO. https://aflcio.org/about/history/labor-history-events/triangle-shirtwaist-fire
Davis, M. (2020). Lessons from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. NYCOSH Triangle Journal . https://www.osha.gov/oas/NYCOSH_Triangle_Jounal.pdf
Library of Congress. (2020). Progressive era to a new era . The Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/progressive-era-to-new-era-1900-1929/overview/
OSHA. (2020). The triangle shirtwaist factory fire . Occupational Safety & Health Administration. https://www.osha.gov/aboutosha/40-years/trianglefactoryfire
