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Commemorating the 103rd Anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

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Union workers protest factory conditions. Photo via the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition.
Union workers protest factory conditions. Photo via the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition.

Tomorrow marks the 103rd anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the 1911 disaster that killed 146 workers and sparked a movement for workplace safety laws and regulations and a new appreciation for the labor union movement. The fire took place in what was then called the Asch Building (now known as the Brown Building) at the corner of Washington Place and Greene Street in Greenwich Village. We here at Off the Grid have explored the story of the fire and its place in our community’s history.

You could also take part first-hand in the many events being planned to mark the anniversary. Throughout this week and next, there are a number of public programs that explore the history of this tragic fire, commemorate those women and men who died, and honor today’s workers who continue the fight for safety and dignify in the workplace.

103rd Triangle Factory Fire Commemoration: We Are All Workers

Labor organizers will mark the anniversary by reading the names of the 146 victims and raising a ladder to the 7th floor of the building.

  • Sponsored by Workers United/SEIU (ILGWU)
  • Tuesday, March 25
  • 12 noon to 1:00 PM
  • At the corner of Washington Place and Greene Street
For the last ten years, the CHALK project has reminded us about the 146 women and men who died in the Triangle Factory fire. Image via Streetpictures.
For the last ten years, the CHALK project has reminded us about the 146 women and men who died in the Triangle Factory fire. Image via Streetpictures.

CHALK

Since 2004, CHALK has been hitting the streets annually to inscribe the names + ages of the Triangle workers in front of their former homes.

The 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the Tragedy in Bangladesh: Labor Law and Workplace Safety Panel Discussion

Please join this panel discussion about the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire and its effect on labor laws and workplace safety in the U.S., and of the recent factory fire in Bangladesh and the effect it might have there and elsewhere in the developing world for similar reforms. Organized by Professors Donna Haverty-Stacke and Eduardo Contreras and Human Rights Program Director Lawrence Moss.

  • Tuesday, March 25
  • 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
  • Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College, 47-49 East 65th Street
  • This event is sponsored by the Hunter College Human Rights Program
  • More information
A 1911 button references the Triangle Factory fire. Image via Labor Arts.
A 1911 button references the Triangle Factory fire. Image via Labor Arts.

Fourth Annual Clara Lemlich Awards

The Clara Lemlich Awards Awards honor women who have been working for the larger good their entire lives, in the tradition of those who sparked so many reforms in the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire over one hundred years ago. This program is co-sponsored by Labor Arts and the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition.

  • Wednesday, April 2, 2014
  • 6:00 – 8:00 pm
  • Puffin Gallery for Social Activism, Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street
  • More information

Want to learn more about the the Fire? The Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition, an organization working to build a permanent Triangle Fire memorial, has all you need to know, including resources, an open archive of materials related to the fire and its history, and a full schedule of events.

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