International Trade Union History and Memory Network
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International Trade Union History and Memory Network

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United States of America

Triangle Fire Memorial. Photo by Sean Mackell, NYC Central Labor Council (2023).

Description of the Memorial from the Coalition website:

"The long-awaited Triangle Fire Memorial to the victims and legacy of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire was dedicated October 11, 2023, at the site of the historic fire in New York City.

The Triangle Fire Memorial tells the story of the fire in the languages spoken by the victims: English, Yiddish and Italian. It is also one of the only memorials in America dedicated to workers. The lower portion of the Memorial consists of a textured, stainless steel “ribbon” twelve feet above the sidewalk, on the building’s southern and eastern facades. The names and ages of the 146 victims are cut into this ribbon and mirrored in a dark reflective panel at hip height. As visitors traverse the length of the memorial, the names of the victims overhead appear in the reflective panel, as if written in the sky. Testimonies of survivors and eyewitnesses to the fire are etched as a single line of text along the lower edge of the reflective panel, inviting the visitor to look down into the reflection and discover the names of the victims and their stories.

A second phase of the installation, expected to be completed winter 2023, will expand the steel “ribbon” to the window sill of the 9th floor, where many victims jumped to their deaths. The ribbon will project from the corner of the building, recalling the signs that once hung there as well as mourning ribbons or bunting that are draped on buildings at times of public grief."

Contributed by Mary Anne Trasciatti (Hofstra University)

Members of the public attending the unveiling of the Triangle Fire Memorial. Photo by Sean Mackell, NYC Central Labor Council (2023).

The annual commemoration

The annual commemoration of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York is a major part of the city's labour remembrance. It is the result of a collaboration between various trade unions and institutions in New York. Every year, a varied program is on the agenda. Trade union leaders, labour politicians and descendants of the victims come together every year to commemorate the victims of the fire. They discuss, for example, how the labour movement, trade union organization and employee protection laws have developed since the disaster in the USA.

Photo by Jeffrey Riman, 2011. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0). Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/riman/5562208888/in/set-72157626233485589/

For example, at the 2024 celebration, the treasurer of Workers United highlighted the recent events of the Starbucks labor struggle, in which the union created a framework for collective bargaining. An organizer of the Starbucks struggle from Workers United mentioned the fire and spoke to young union members about the lessons that can still be learned from the disaster today. In addition, the New York City Fire Department extends a ladder up to the sixth floor of the building as a reminder of the powerlessness of the fire department at the time.

The commemoration educates rank-and-file members, activists, students and other allies in the community about workplace safety, collective bargaining rights and the importance of standing together to protect worker safety.

Most years, Workers United staff and members also gather at union headquarters on the anniversary of the New York City fire. All known names of the victims are read out to commemorate them. The event is also commemorated via social media, especially on anniversaries. In addition to the consequences of the fire, the achievements of trade union work are also discussed. The fire is seen as the trigger for many social reforms, including new safety standards regarding fire protection, initially at a local level in New York, which then spread to the entire USA. In addition to pictures of the accident, a memorial video was also published under the hashtag "Triangle146". It mentions all known victims by name and age.

Photo by Barbara L. Hanson, 2006. Licensed under CC 2.0 Attribution Generic. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/baha1210/.

Chalk Action

Every year, a public, collective remembrance campaign takes place, organized by Ruth Sergel, founder and director of the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition. Every year since the anniversary of the disaster in 2004, people from all over New York have come together to write their names and ages on the streets of the former houses. Participants actively post flyers that briefly discuss the history of the fire and its legacy. Chalk acts as an anthropocene - local features of the street asphalt, chalk and people are linked together. The painted memorial will disappear within a short time, but the power of collective action shows from year to year that the memory is renewed, and the memory of the victims continues to be upheld.

Photo by Dennis Crowley, 2011. Licensed under CC 2.0 Attribution Generic. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dpstyles/5564554565.

Contributed by Markus Seegers (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)

A one-man drill in operation, in connection with the Copper Country Strike of 1913–1914. Public domain.

Background and Context

Michigan's Copper Country in the early 1900s was a hub of mining activity dominated by the Calumet & Hecla Mining Company (C&H). The region attracted diverse immigrant communities, including Finns, Italians, Croatians, and others, who formed the backbone of the mining workforce. Working conditions were harsh, with miners facing dangerous conditions and low wages, leading to growing labor unrest.

In July 1913, the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) called for a strike, demanding better working conditions, an eight-hour workday, minimum wage, and union recognition. The mining companies refused to negotiate and hired strikebreakers, leading to increased tensions. The Citizens' Alliance, a pro-business group, and private security forces were used to intimidate strikers.

The Italian Hall Tragedy

During a Christmas Eve party organized for strikers' families, someone shouted "Fire!" in the crowded hall. In the ensuing panic, people rushed toward the narrow staircase that served as the main exit. The resulting crush killed 73 people, mostly children. The identity of the person who raised the false alarm remains unknown to this day, though many strikers believed it was an intentional act by anti-union forces.

The disaster had profound effects on the community and the strike. The massive funeral procession drew around 20,000 people, reflecting the scale of the tragedy. The strike continued until April 1914, but the emotional toll of the disaster, combined with economic hardship, led to its eventual collapse. Many families left the region, seeking work elsewhere, particularly in Detroit's growing auto industry.

The Italian Hall site in 2019 after a granite memorial was installed with the names of the 73 victims of the Italian Hall disaster. The back face and edge of the granite memorial can be seen. Photo by Chris857, 2019. Shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Italian_Hall_site_2019_-_2.jpg.

Legacy

The Italian Hall disaster is remembered in various ways by different groups, reflecting the complex legacy of this tragic event. The memory of the disaster has evolved over time, shaped by personal experiences, community dynamics, national narratives and the ongoing struggle for workers' rights.

For the miners and their families directly impacted by the disaster, the memory has remained deeply personal and painful. Many survivors and their descendants have passed down stories of the tragedy through generations, keeping the memory alive within families. In the immediate aftermath and for years following, the disaster was a source of grief, anger and a rallying point for continued labor activism among the mining community.

However, the opposite is also true, the trauma of the Italian Hall disaster was so profound that some found it easier to try to push the memories aside rather than confront them. For immigrant miners particularly, the idea of leaving the old country for a better life, only to face such tragedy, was almost too much to bear. Moving forward and trying to forget, was a way of coping for them.

They focused instead on rebuilding their lives, their savings and their sense of stability. Some even viewed continued discussion of the strike and its aftermath as potentially dangerous, fearing it might provoke further conflict with the mining companies or within the community.

Local inhabitants of Calumet and the surrounding Copper Country have incorporated the memory of the disaster into their regional identity. The event is commemorated annually, with ceremonies often held at the site of the former Italian Hall.

While the Italian Hall building itself was demolished in 1984, the site where it stood has been preserved as a memorial park. A brick arch from the original building's doorway still stands, serving as a poignant reminder of the tragedy. The site includes historical markers that explain the events of December 24, 1913.

The Hall Memorial Park, located at the site of the former Italian Hall, includes informational plaques and a memorial to those who lost their lives in the disaster. The park provides a space for reflection and remembrance. Other local historical societies and museums, such as the Keweenaw National Historical Park, maintain exhibits and archives related to the disaster, ensuring its place in the area's historical narrative. Each year on the 24^th, 73 luminaries are lighted in front of the arch in memory of the victims.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Italian Hall tragedy and the 1913-1914 Copper Strike, the Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections created a traveling exhibition titled 'Tumult and Tragedy: Michigan's 1913–14 Copper Strike'. The exhibit consisted of twelve stand-alone banners featuring informative texts, original photographs and comic drawings that explored various aspects of the strike and the tragedy. From 2012 to 2013, the exhibition toured six locations across the Keweenaw Peninsula, bringing this important historical event to a wider audience throughout the region.

On a national level, the Italian Hall disaster has been remembered through various media, often in the context of broader discussions about labor history and workers' rights. While its prominence in national memory may vary, the event has been featured in several documentaries, books and academic studies.

Unions have kept the memory of the Italian Hall disaster alive through a variety of public commemorations. On the 100th anniversary of the event in 2013, union members, local labor organizations and community members gathered to remember the victims. The ceremonies included reading the names of those who died, laying wreaths in their memory and holding processions. These commemorative events not only serve as a tribute to the victims but also as a reminder of the deadly consequences of unsafe labor conditions and the suppression of workers' rights. The tragedy is used as an example of the brutal realities workers faced in their pursuit of better conditions, safer workplaces and the right to organize. It has become a symbol of labor solidarity, reminding workers of the importance of unity in confronting corporate power.

Historical Memory and Commemoration

The Italian Hall disaster has attracted much scholarly attention in waves over the past century. Early accounts often focused on the perspective of mine owners and management, with the “Report of the Commissioner of Labor Statistics in regard to the Strike of Mine Workers in the Michigan Copper District” being a notable example that relied heavily on accounts from the mining companies.

A significant shift occurred with the rise of labor history and the "New Labor History" approach, which sought to tell the story from the workers' perspective. This approach, inspired by E.P. Thompson's "bottom up" methodology, placed working people and their experiences at the center of historical analysis. Several influential works emerged from this tradition. Larry Lankton's "Cradle to Grave" (1991) provided a comprehensive look at life and work in the Copper Country mines. Steve Lehto's "Death's Door" (2006) specifically examined the Italian Hall tragedy.

However, the most complete and nuanced treatment of the strike and its context is arguably "Community in Conflict" by Gary Kaunonen and Aaron Goings (2013). This work combines a "bottom up" approach with a broader analysis of national and international forces shaping events in the Copper Country. It draws on a wide range of sources, including previously overlooked documents, to provide a comprehensive working-class history of the strike and the Italian Hall tragedy.

Interest in the topic has seen resurgences around significant anniversaries, with the centennial of the strike in 2013-14 spurring new research and publications. These more recent works have tended to emphasize the ethnic diversity of the strikers and the complex interplay of local, national and international factors in shaping the conflict.

"See what your greed for money has done.”

The Italian Hall disaster has been preserved in American memory through various means, but perhaps most powerfully through Woody Guthrie's 1941 ballad "1913 Massacre." The song was inspired by labor organizer Ella Reeve "Mother" Bloor's 1940 autobiography "We Are Many," which provided a vivid firsthand account of the tragedy.

Born in Okemah, Oklahoma, Guthrie lived through the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. He witnessed the mass migration of "Okies" to California and the discrimination they faced. This firsthand experience of prejudice and hardship fostered a strong empathy for marginalized communities, including the immigrant miners in Michigan's copper country. Throughout his life, Guthrie was acutely aware of social injustices faced by immigrants, the working poor, he was one of them. His involvement in the labor movement brought him into direct conflict with authorities, mirroring the experiences of the Copper Country strikers. Guthrie had seen how employers used ethnic divisions to undermine worker solidarity, a tactic also employed in the Michigan copper mines. The violent suppression of labor strikes, as seen during the Copper Country Strike and the events leading up to the Italian Hall disaster, mirrored Guthrie’s own experiences and reinforced his commitment to exposing such injustices.

Guthrie's version of the Italian Hall disaster reflects the political and social climate of the early 1940s more than the historical reality of 1913. He transforms the tragedy into a pointed critique of industrial capitalism and labor relations, boldly accusing the copper mining company's agents of deliberately causing the disaster. This interpretation serves as a rallying cry for the labor movement, using the tragedy as a symbol of corporate greed and disregard for workers' lives.

Though Guthrie never visited Michigan's Copper Country, his song captured the emotional weight of the tragedy and kept its memory alive in American consciousness. The song chronicles the harsh realities faced by copper miners, their families, and the immigrant labor community in early 20th century America. While Guthrie's interpretation sometimes diverges from historical fact, it powerfully conveys the workers' perspective and the incident's impact on labor activism.

"1913 Massacre" serves as both a historical document and a cultural touchstone, illustrating how art can preserve collective memory and advance social movements. The song continues to resonate today, highlighting enduring themes of justice, solidarity, and the human costs of industrial development.

The tragedy has been the subject of at least two notable documentaries: '1913 Massacre: A Film inspired by a Woody Guthrie Song', released in 2011 and screened across the United States and in Finland and 'Red Metal: The Copper Country Strike of 1913', which premiered in 2013 and was later broadcast on Finnish national television.