On March 25th, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Company Factory, in New York City, was destroyed by a fire. This fire was cause to the death of 145 people, most were teenage girls who were burned, suffocated, or jumped to their deaths. This fire was the spark to a Labor Reform Movement. The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire led to safer working conditions, the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, and to improved worker benefits. Working conditions were poor in the early 1900’s. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory had no clearly marked exit signs and only one functional elevator reached by a narrow corridor. There were two stairways in the factory, however one was locked due to theft and the other had a door that only opened inward. The factory did have one fire escape, but it was very narrow and would of taken hours for all of the workers to get to safety. This fire causes the public to become aware of the conditions of sweatshops. Sprinkler systems and installing sufficient fire escapes those are properly marked with exit signs were implemented in new factories for the safety of the workers. These inhumane working conditions influenced the beginning of a labor reform, and …show more content…
It allows workers to participate in strikes and labor unions. Businesses are required to use collective bargaining, using negotiations between employers and employees to come to compromises on worker rights. This act will allow for better management practices in companies. This act was made due to the influence of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire disaster. The owners of this factory, Blanck and Harris were tried for their involvement with the working conditions of their businesses. They were not found guilty; however the public began to realize that these girls were being treated so poorly, given low wages and working long hours. Without the trial of Blanck and Harris, the practices of large businesses owners to cut costs would not have been