Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Triangle Fire
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March 25 is the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire in New York City, which killed 146 workers, mostly young immigrant women, many of whom jumped to their deaths from the 10-story factory to escape the fire because they were locked inside.
Union members and progressive allies are commemorating the tragedy in many ways. Here are some you can join.
- The New York City labor community is taking part in the March 25 events at the former site of the Triangle Shirtwaist Co. The ceremony, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., is at the corner of Washington Place and Greene Street in Manhattan. The event is sponsored by the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition.
- Beginning this week, numerous organizations are sponsoring archive exhibits, film screenings, performance pieces and more. Get the full list here.
- A symposium in Washington, D.C., on job safety and health in the 100 years since the Triangle fire, March 21, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. RSVP required.
- “Remembering the Fire,” a special presentation at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C., March 25, noon to 1:30 p.m. RSVP required.
- New York City’s Cooper Union is hosting an evening of music, spoken word poetry and solidarity in commemoration of the 146 victims. The Metropolitan Klezmer will performing klezmer music written about the tragedy, uncovered 100 years later. Details here.
- The Labor and Working-Class History Association (LAWCHA) is holding events in Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Iowa City. More info here.
Part-Time Faculty at Two New York Colleges Join AFT
Part-time and adjunct faculty teaching at two private colleges, the Manhattan School of Music (MSM) and Cooper Union (CU), voted recently to join the New York State United Teachers, an affiliate of AFT and the National Education Association. The faculty members at both schools are all accomplished artists and working professionals who perform outside the college as well as teach.
The 150 part-time and adjunct faculty who teach in the MSM precollege program work on year-to-year contracts and make about half the pay of the regular faculty. In 2002, management cut off the precollege faculty’s access to health insurance that once had been available to all MSM teachers who taught at least 10 hours.
