100 years ago, New York’s deadlist industrial disaster at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory occurred. In that fire more than 100 workers, mostly young girls died… due to the fire or jumping to their deaths. The environment in which they worked consisted of very little pay, long hours and unsafe working conditions.
As a result of that incident, it led to workplace and safety reform in New York and the United States . The creation of these reforms were encouraged and advanced by organized labor. Consequently, workers, union AND non-union, have these protections today.
However; the history that has established the protections in our country does not exist nor is it recognized in many countries across the globe. Workers in many countries are subjected to the same or worse conditions that existed in 1911 in the United States. Sweatshops where children make a variety of products for corporations such as Wal-Mart and The Gap. Products that are shipped into our country… because it is cheaper to make elsewhere, the regulations don’t exist and the freedom to organize and bargain is suprressed.
In 2010 there was an eerily similar tragedy in Bangledesh. Death and injury occurred to young workers in a fire… very analogous to the Triangle Shirtwaist fire 100 years ago.
This is what exists and what we have to compete against.
Look hard at what is going on in our own state of Michigan and around this country… the coordinated effort to eradicate collective bargaining and the freedom to organize, the erosion and elimination of workplace and safety regulations. In what has been called “the race to the bottom” is occuring as we speak and what has been built up for the benefit and protection of all working men and women is quickly being taken away.
Take the time to view this affecting video by the United Steelworkers and the National Labor Committee: http://usw.org/media_center/news_articles?id=0739
This video summarizes in great and poignant detail the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and its legacy, the current conditions workers across the globe are working under, the parallels of the past with the present, along with the effect and impending future workers in our country are facing.
It starts with education… without it, we may forget what it took to gain what have have today and without it, we may very well lose what we have today.
After watching the video, take the time to see what else is happening in this global economy by viewing the National Labor Committee web site: http://www.globallabourrights.org/.
It is happening across the globe and it’s happening here… 100 years of history… what have we learned? Will we move forward… or move back?
