The Effects Of The Triangle Fire Of 1911 - 1611 Words

A year after shirtwaist workers thought they had won a war, the Triangle Fire proved that it had merely been a battle. Under the Triangle Shirtwaist Company owners, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, the men and women laboring to sew waist skirts were dissatisfied with their terrible working conditions and low wages. While working, the garment workers, made up of mostly poor Italian and Jewish women immigrants, would constantly be yelled at and called sexist slurs by bosses, and forced to work long, tiring hours for little pay (Argersinger 11). Tired of these conditions, the workers of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York met in secret to form a union against the company in September 1909 (Argersinger 11). The union of the garment workers†¦show more content†¦This was done as a security precaution to ensure none of the workers were stealing scraps of fabric or shirtwaists (Class Lecture: Progressive Era). Additionally, the workers’ privacy was invaded daily when thei r purses and bags were searched to prevent thievery. The workers felt as if they were being â€Å"searched like thieves† by the Blanck and Harris (Argersinger 11). Subsequently, mistreatment continued as the workers would often get stabbed by the needle of the sew machines, causing severe bleeding and in some cases the loss of a finger, all while the workers were expected to keep sewing (Argersinger 54). Furthermore, Clara Lemlich, a Jewish Russian immigrant, recalled that the bosses would â€Å"swear at [them] and sometimes do worse- they [would] call [them] names that are not pretty to hear† (Argersinger 57). These poor working conditions seemed to never end, and day after day workers would dread coming into work. But by September 1909, the workers had become fed up with the mistreatment and terrible conditions, leading the men and women of garment industries all across New York to look for a change. Over a hundred garment workers of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company met in secret to listen to speakers from the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) and the Women’s Trade Union League (WTUL) (Argersinger 63). These speeches prompted the Triangle Shirtwaist Company employees to unionizeShow MoreRelated Triangle: The Fire that Changed America Essay1615 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The ‘Triangle’ company, â€Å"With blood this name will be written in the history of the American workers’ movement, and with feeling will this history recall the names of the strikers of this shop- of the crusaders† (Von Drehle 86). Even before it happen, the Forward predicted the terrible disaster of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory that occurred one year, one month, and seve nteen days later (86). Triangle: The Fire that Changed America, by David Von Drehle tells the story of the horrible fire. DavidRead MoreTriangle: The Fire That Changed America Essay1282 Words   |  6 PagesOn the afternoon of March 25, 1911, a fire broke out in the 10-floor Asch Building, a block east of Manhattans Washington Square. This is where 500 mostly young immigrant girls were producing shirts for the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. Within minutes, it spread to consume the buildings upper three stories. Firemen at the scene were unable to rescue those trapped inside: their ladders werent tall enough. Exits were locked, and the narrow fire escapes were inadequate. Panicked, many jumped fromRead MoreOsha s Influence On Human Capital Management1364 Words   |  6 Pagesyear (OSHA). Incident Before OSHA: Triangle Shirtwaist Factory The Triangle factory was owned by Max Blanck and Isaac Harris located in Manhattan, New York. Many employees were young immigrant women and teenage girls working seven days a week for twelve hours. 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I bind the finger up with a piece of cotton and go on working†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (274). In 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Company was engulfed in flames, and the compact arrangement of the sewing machines, lack of emergency plan, and many of the exit doors being locked caused 146 of the workers to die (276). The poor working conditions that led toRead MoreThe Time of Change847 Words   |  3 Pagesimprovements in these slum areas.There was better working conditions, and women gained a little more respect due to this major event. Another main event that happen was the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, it was on March 25, 1911 and a fire went off in a factory where theres ton of cotton because its a factory workshop. There was a mini fire and it escalated very quickly. This killed a hundred and twenty three women. There was no way to escape because the doors were locked from the inside. 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