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Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
On this day, 146 people died due to a factory fire in the Triangle Shirtwaist building. The fire was possibly started by a wastebin flame and grew due to there being scattered fabric everywhere. -
Factory Investigating Commission
On this date, Governer John Dix signed the Factory Investigating Commission. This commission was formed due to the outrage the public had on the results of the fire. Between the years of 1911 and 1914, 36 new laws were put in place to protect the public from dangers especially fire hazards. -
American Society of Safety Engineers
The ASSE is a professional safety society that dedicates its work on keeping people, especially, workers safe. Its work has spread to over 80 countries to protect people. The ASSE works hard to find hazards and uses its many members to help develop ways to fix these problems. -
Frances Perkins
On March 4, 1933, Frances Perkins became Secretay of Labor. She was appointed to the spot by Franklin D. Roosevelt and was the first woman to ever become Secretary of Labor. She made it one of her goals to fight for worker's rights and change things for laborers. -
Wagner Act
Also known as the National Labor Relations Act, the Wagner Act of 1935 was passed by Franklin Roosevelt into a law. It allowed workers and laborers to organize, join, and assist labor organizations that often supported worker's rights. In the past, people who tried to do this were stopped by their employers but after this act, they had the freedom to form their unions. -
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938
Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill called the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. It applied to industries whose combined employment made up of about 1/5 of the labor force. This act stated that oppressive child labor was banned, the work hours were restricted to a maximum of 44 hours a week, and the minimum work wage for workers was 25 cents an hour. -
Occupational Safety and Health Act
This law stated that employers were required to have a safe workplace and environment for their workers that are safe from known dangers. The OSHA enforces health standards and a safe workplace for workers. If a worker feels unsafe, the OSHA declared that they would inspect the workplace if asked by a worker. -
Anniversary of the Triangle fire
This date marks the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. Also, it is a few months before the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. This year, many people prayed and mourned the victims of both these tragedies. -
Today
To this day, the Triangle Waist Co. factory fire has had a lasting legacy. New laws are still being made to help protect workers. The fire at the Asch building was a tragic event and one of the biggest building fires in America. Today, the Asch building is now known as the Brown building and is part of New York University (NYU). The legacy that the fire and all the lives lost has had is that we have to always try hard to keep our community safe.
