Research Paper On The Triangle Fire Tragedy

The Triangle Fire Tragedy

The fire in the Triangle Waist Company was the “deadliest workplace tragedy in the history of New York City” (Argersinger, p.16). Immigrant young women, some of whom did not speak English, were employees in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory to support their families despite the poor wages and the dangerous work conditions. In this period, progressive movements were occurring in order to reduce the impacts of the difficult conditions brought by industrialization, balance the wealth between the rich and poor, and make the workplace more efficient. After watching how several garment workers, mostly women, reach their deaths, America was never the same in many ways, affecting the development of the Progressive Era and

Initially, the company was an “inside shop” where all the steps of production were made in one room. The shirtwaists were commonly worn by women of all classes, in fact the demand for the blouses increased. Consequently, later, the factory expanded and moved to the top three floors of the Ash Building, which was fireproof according to its owner Joseph Ash; to enhance production the building was equipped with modern technology, organization, and construction. The sewing machines were systematized in order to maximize production and minimize conversation among workers, letting the company fabricate more than thousands blouses a day. In 1903, the Women’s Trade Union League (WTUL) was organized with the objective of eliminating sweatshop conditions, referred to improper working conditions, and establishing trade unions, which means employees united to achieve a common goal. Although the Triangle Shirtwaist Company was an objective of the WTUL, it still generated risks for workers. For example, the company had no working warning system in case of accidents, improperly maintained work equipment, and lack of workplace inspections. Furthermore, the pressurized pace of work facilitated accidents mostly to inexpert

For instance, in order to reduce economic risks, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris opted to hire bosses whom they paid according to the shirtwaist’s production. Simultaneously, the bosses hired workers, mainly immigrant young women, to actually produce the shirtwaists, supervised their work, and paid them from the amount they received from the owners. Since, the bosses decided the wages of employees for their own profit, they minimize labor costs. The shirtwaist’ prices varied from $2 to hundreds of dollars, according to the fabric and design, nonetheless some women could not afford them despite they worked hard to fabricate them.

It was March the 25th in 1911when 146 workers died in the Asch Building where the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory was established. As soon as the closing bell rang, workers were gathering their personal possessions to go home; afterward, the fire began on the eighth floor. Because people on the ninth floor knew nothing about the fire, they did not have so many opportunities to escape, thus they started to jump from great heights. The tragedy horrified extremely the whole country and changed the history of America