WHS Paper 2 Rev1
Transcript of WHS Paper 2 Rev1
Tyler Grove
Lynn Pohl
Woman’s History in America
November 18, 2004
The Triangle Trade Union Relief
The front page of the March 26th, 1911 New York Times read “141 Men and Girls
Die in Waist Factory Fire; Trapped High Up in Washington Place Building; Street
Strewn with Bodies; Piles of Dead Inside”. The article described the one of the most
horrific fires in a New York City Factory. It all started at Greene St and Washington
Place, at the Triangle Waist Company factory near closing time on Saturday March 25th.
The building was 10 stories tall and housed 500 factory workers. By the end of the day,
146 would be dead. This horrific event would forever change factory procedures in the
United States.1
The factory had been a catalyst for activities associated with unionization. In 1909
a spontaneous walkout of 400 people had occurred.2 Workers at the Triangle Shirtwaist
factory describe that they grew up together. “…Newman was assigned to a corner know
as “the kindergarten,” where workers as young as eight, nine, or maybe ten year olds
worker trimmed threads from finished garments.” She labored from 7.30 AM to 6.30 PM
“if it wasn’t busy.”3
1 “141 Men and Girls Die in Waist Factory Fire; Trapped High Up in Washington Place Building; Street Strewn with Bodies; Piles of Dead Inside” New York Times, March 26, 1911, p. 1. (available online @ http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/texts/newspaper/nyt_032611_5.html)2 http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/narrative2.html3 Annelise Orleck, “From Russian Pale to Labor Organizing in New York City” Women’s America: Refocusing the Past.(Oxford: Oxford University Press,2004) 314.
The next day the New York Times article described in sensational detail the
events as they unfolded. The building was described in the article of being the “most
modern construction and classed as fireproof”.4 Although the building was described as
fireproof, according to the article the sheets hung around the sweatshops provided many
flammable items.
It was a four alarm fire, and by the time the first fire engine arrived spectators
described with horrifying detail the jumping of some workers who were stranded in the
building. The Fire engines ladders only reached the 6th floor and the lack of water
pressure hampered the ability to send water up to the highest floors.
The New York Times article highlighted the tragic scene that unfolded…“There
is just one fire escape in the building… In Greene Street, where the terrified unfortunates
crowded before they began to make their mad leaps to death, the whole big front of the
building is guiltless of one. Nor is there a fire escape in the back” The article exclaimed.
In graphic detail the article described “A heap of corpses lay on the sidewalk for more
than an hour.”5
The building was owned by Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, but much of the work
was from the workers of subcontractors. Individuals would hire their own workers,
supervise them and pay them separately from the owners. Through this system the
subcontractors in order to make the most profit would hire newly arrived immigrants and
pay them as little as possible. These subcontractors made many stringent rules to find
other ways to dock pay from their workers, many of whom had no other employment
options and were vulnerable to exploitation.
4 “141 Men and Girls Die in Waist Factory Fire; Trapped High Up in Washington Place Building; Street Strewn with Bodies; Piles of Dead Inside”5 abid
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The primary document entitled “The Triangle Trade Union Relief” was published
in the American Federationist in the July 1911 edition. The document highlighted Union
activities that aimed to aid the workers and their families. Despite that most of the
workers had not been union members, most were newly arrived in this country and were
unaware of labor movements, or too scared to join them for fear of losing their jobs. The
document deals exclusively with responses to actions after the fire. The document
describes the inability to find next of kin for many of the workers “A number of the dead
girls left not a single relative in this country.” 6
A joint relief committee was set up that that included the Ladies’ Waist and Dress
Makers' Union, United Hebrew Trades, Workmen's Circle, Women's Trade Union
League and Jewish Daily Forward. This joint committee had a three pronged approach to
aid workers and their families as victim from the fire, This approach included a relief
committee, arrange for a funeral protest demonstration, and criminal prosecution for
owners of the factory. All these organizations with the exception of the Women's Trade
Union League were from the east side of New York City and were Jewish in origin. 7
The Committee heard the cases of every worker to determine appropriate
compensation and Mailly points out that “the one startling fact of all was the large
number of girls who had been the main, and oftentimes the sole, support of families in
Russia or Italy.”8 He points that many of these young girls lived alone with the sole
responsibility of sending money to their families overseas. “The chief problem
confronting the relief committee lay in providing for these dependent families abroad.”9.
6 William Mailly, “The Triangle Trade Union Relief” American Federationist, (July 1911), 544-547. (available online @ http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/texts/newspaper/af_0711.html)7 abid8 abid9 abid
3
The committee attempted to place injured workers in the best possible locations,
sending the orphan girls to the Clara de Hirsch Home for Girls which was regarded as “an
excellent trade school”, or if injured they were sent to the Solomon Loeb Convalescent
Home “to stay until well”.10
Max Blanck and Isaac Harris would be acquitted of any wrongdoing in the trial
eight months after the fire. Though individually twenty-three lawsuits would be brought
against the owners, they would eventually settle for on average $75 per life lost.11 The
result of this devastating fire would result in some of the most sweeping legislation aimed
at making working conditions better for factory workers. But these would only result
after years of successful passing of safety and hour regulation laws in state law bodies.
But the lasting impacts of this fire would be seen for decades to follow.
10 abid11Leon Stein, The Triangle Fire (New York: A Carroll & Graf/Quicksilver Book, 1962), 150.
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