The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire... March 25th, 1911…

The next time you hear someone at a cocktail party, or on the bus, or in the office disparage unions and wonder why they ever came about, ask them if they've come from generations of fabulous wealth! Or… ask them if any of their relatives immigrated here (they probably DID!) and if they ever worked long hours in appalling conditions. Labor activism and unions came about from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and other incidents (many of them!) like it which we still observe and memorialize over 100 years later. Speaking as a member of three unions, I appreciate all the work and sacrifice that laborers contributed for my wellbeing… and how they, at the very beginning of the 20th century, helped to create America’s large and prosperous middle-class, one of the most vital pillars of a stable and secure democracy!

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