History: Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

What was the weekly salary for Triangle Shirtwaist Factory workers? How long was the work day?

$15 a day for 12 hours

List the eight causes of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.

1. Locked door to the stair well 2. Rusty fire escape that collapsed 3. Cluttered work spaces 4. Short Ladders only reached 6th floor 5. Not enough water pressure 6. Long wooden tables become obstacles 7. Wicker baskets full of scrapes 8. Oily floors spread the fire quickly

Why did the owners of the Triangle Factory not install sprinkler systems or take other safety measures?

Blanck and Harris intentionally burned down previous factories they owned in order to collect on the fire insurance.

The Triangle Shirtwaist fire convinced the people of the United States that WHO had a responsibility to ensure the safety of workers.

Government responsibility

What was the Factory Investigating Commission (FIC)? The FIC passed over 30 laws that set standards for what?

It was a group of people who check the factories once in a while to make sure they are safe. Safety of factories.

On what date and year did the Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire place and how many died as a result of the fire?

March 25,1911 and 146

Who owned the Triangle Factory, located on the top three floors of the Asch Building?

Max Blanck and Isaac Harris

How did New York City respond to the fire? What reforms happened?

New York established a commission that studied the working conditions in hundreds of factories in the city and not just garment factories. The Sullivan-Hoey Fire Prevention Law was enacted in October 1911. In addition, the New York Democratic Party started to work towards making reforms that would improve the lives of the working class.

Four elevators accessed the factory floor, but only one was fully operational. What were two other problems the factory had when it came to entering or exiting it.

One of the stairways to the street was locked from the outside to prevent theft by the workers. The door to the other stairway opened inward only. In addition, the fire escapes were poorly constructed and not sturdy enough.

Who worked at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory?

Teenaged Women.

What year did the International Ladies Garment Union lead a strike? Why did they go on strike?

The International Ladies Garment Union led the General Strike of hundreds of garment factory workers. The strike lasted three months (November 1909 - February 1910). The striking workers wanted higher pay ($20 per week), shorter and more predictable hours (52 hours per week), and safer work conditions.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire persuaded the people of the United States that WHO "had a responsibility to ensure workers had a safe place to do their jobs"?

The bosses

The article describes the factory as "a sweatshop in every sense of the word." What conditions does the article describe that made the factory a "sweatshop"?

The factory work floors were very cramped and lined with work stations at long wooden tables. The factory crammed 240 people on to one floor. Most of the workers were poor immigrant workers.

Who worked at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory?

The majority of the workers were poor immigrant women, mostly in their teens, who could not speak English.

On what date and year did the workers' union organize to march to protest the working conditions in the Triangle Factory that caused the fire? How many attended the march?

The march took place on April 5 and over 80,000 people attended.

A major goal of the Progressive Movement was to end child labor. However, some parents still wanted their children to work. Why?

They needed money for food and other things.

How did Blanck and Harris respond to the strike?

They resisted the strike by employing police as thugs to imprison striking women while paying politicians to look the other way.

What happened to Blanck and Harris as a result of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire?

They were put on trial for manslaughter but found not guilty.

What were Blanck and Harris "notorious anti-worker policies"?

They worked seven days a week for twelve hours a day while only earning $15.