A Plea for Change

1. A Plea for Change Factory Conditions, Women’s Rights and Tragedy

2. Factory Conditions Mailbag Repair Shop 1907 • Crowed, loud, unventilated rooms • Unsafe environments • Cotton fibers in the air could lead to cancer • There were no safety devices on machines • Merrimack Manufacturing Company: Accident Reports 1890-1899 [LNHP]

3. Women working in the Triangle Factory

4. What do you notice about these factories? Indiana Glass Company 1908

5. Factory Conditions • Long hours • Workers often worked 10-12 hour days 6 days a week (sometimes even 7 days a week with no overtime) making $4-6 per week. • Often workers only had one short lunch break • Emma Goldman, a Russian immigrant observed that “the work here was harder[than in Russia]” She had a half hour lunch and had to ask permission to use the restroom • Had to supply their own thread and sometimes their own sewing machine- or pay to rent one • Could be easily laid off or required to work around the clock in rush seasons

6. Factory Conditions The seamstress and her daughter lived in dire circumstances, though the mother did manage to keep her child in school. They scraped by with aid from two charitable organizations, which required the mother as an independent woman to show proof that she was “respectable” and deserving of aid. • Poor pay- $4-6 per week for women • Women earned less than half of men’s salary

7. Workers wanted a change • They wanted • Shorter hours • Better working conditions • Fair pay • But how can the workers get these changes?

8. In order to get these, workers went on strike • 1831 the first all women’s union was formed • United Tailoresses Society of New York • 1834 workers strike in Lowell • they gained a 12 hour work day

9. In order to get these, workers went on strike • 1909 Women at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York meet with the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU) • The company fires these women • In return the women strike • The company then hired people to harass and beat up the women that chose to strike

10. The Strike in New York • On November 22, 1909 a Meeting is held at Cooper Union- It is there that the workers decide to unite. • November 23 at 9am a strike of all shirtwaist factories began • Between 20,000 and 30,000 participated in the strike • It lasted into 1910 • The Strike Ends February 15, 1910- Workers Win • Improved wages • 52 hour work week

11. Tragedy The fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory March 25, 1911

12. Photos of the 8th floor after the fire.

13. In these pictures you can see that the ladder can only reach to the 7th floor of the building.

14. Notice that the water from the fire hoses cannot reach the 10th floor

15. Funeral notice for the workers killed in the fire. This notice is written in English, Yiddish, and Italian. Why might this notice be written in three different languages?

16. Looking at Primary Sources • Create 5 questions that you would like answered over the Triangle Factory Fire • To Find the answers read, listen to or look at documents found at the following two websites • The 1911 Triangle Factory Fire • The Library of Congress • On your My Source Notes fill in the answers to your questions and other information you have learned for that source • Don’t forget to fill in what source you are taking notes over and when it was published

18. Your Reaction Essay After hearing the facts, who do you think was responsible? Do you think the changes that were made to the laws were enough?

19. Who is Responsible? • The conditions in the Triangle Factory were common in factories • Feb 11, 42 days before the fire, an insurance inspector stated that the factory was in good condition • There were 3 stairways (including the fire escape) and 4 elevators • Most of the buildings in the area didn’t even have fire escapes

20. Who is Responsible? • Building were up to code and considered advanced for the buildings of its time • The building was called “Fireproof” • There were no laws requiring sprinkler systems or fire drills • There was a 5,000 gallon tank of water on the top of the building to supply water incase of a fire- on the day of the fire, there was no water presser

21. The Outcome • 25 families sued the owners Max Blanck and Isacc Harris • they made a settlement with the families and gave each of those families $75 (this was about 8 weeks of pay) • Blanck and Harris were put on trial but found not guilty • It could not be proven that doors were locked in the factory or that the owners were knew that the doors had been locked previously • It could not be proven that the fire could have been prevented, meaning that deaths would have occurred anyway

22. Things that did change Fire Commission was given more power to enforce laws A Department of Fire Prevention was created increasing fire awareness Penalties increased for violations of safety codes There were an increase in fire checks and fire drills There was a minimum wage set for women (it was still much lower than men’s)