A bell tolls for each person lost in the Triangle fire.
MANHATTAN — CSEA Metropolitan Region President Lester Crockett joined New York City Central Labor Council President Vinnie Alvarez, elected officials and community members in honoring the 146 workers, mostly young, immigrant women, who perished in the March 25, 1911, Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.
The factory was located on the 8th, 9th and 10th floors of the Asch Building, which stands today and is part of the New York University campus. The fire started late in the day and flames spread within minutes.
The building lacked adequate fire escapes and sprinklers, and management had locked the doors to the stairwells and exits. Because of this, many workers were unable to escape.
New York City firefighters demonstrate how a rescue ladder in 1911 was not long enough to reach workers on the 8th, 9th and 10th floors of the building.
While firefighters arrived quickly, they were unable to stop the inferno. They were also unable to rescue workers because their ladders only extended to the building’s 7th floor.
The fire led to public outrage and demands for improved workplace safety and worker rights. It also demonstrated the importance of the union movement and led to the passage of many workplace safety and health laws to better protect workers.
— David Galarza
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- From left to right, CSEA Metropolitan Region President Lester Crockett and New York City Central Labor Council President Vinnie Alvarez pose during the ceremony.
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- A shirtwaist similar to those manufactured at the Triangle factory.
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- A shirtwaist similar to those manufactured at the Triangle factory and a list of names of those lost in the fire are shown at the site of the 1911 inferno.
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- Members of the Ladies Waist & Dressmakers Union mourn the Triangle Fire victims.
