Commemoration of the 111th Anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

On March 25, 1911, 146 workers—mostly young, immigrant women—were killed in a horrific fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory at Washington Place and Greene Street in lower Manhattan. Inadequate fire escapes, locked doors, and an overall disregard for worker safety contributed to the tragedy.

It is unfortunate that it took the loss of 146 lives to bring worker safety issues into the public spotlight. More than a century later, it is crucial that we continue to stand together to protect the hard-fought gains of the labor movement, and to expand protections to include all workers.

On Friday, March 25th at 5:30pm, the NYC Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO will join Workers United and the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition for the 111th Anniversary Commemoration of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Once again we will meet virtually, with a program that will include music, poetry, video presentations, and end with a unique “reading of the names.” This commemoration educates rank and file members, activists, students, and our community allies about workplace safety, collective bargaining rights, and the importance of standing together to protect workers’ safety.

This year’s event will also include a tribute to Ed Vargas, who passed away last fall and who many of you will remember as a longtime labor organizer, champion of working families and tenacious advocate for the creation of a permanent memorial to those lost in the Triangle Fire.

We invite all working people to tune in for the online commemoration as we remember the 146 workers whose deaths helped set the framework for modern-day safety measures. To access the Zoom feed for the event, and to learn more about the permanent Triangle Fire memorial, please visit the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition website at www.rememberthetrianglefire.org. Spanish, Chinese, and American Sign Language interpretation available.