Worker Exploitation: From the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire to the Rana Plaza Collapse
These two events encapsulate the evolution of globalization and worker exploitation
On March 25th 1911, a blazing inferno ripped through the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory located in Manhattan, New York. 146 people perished- mostly young, European immigrant women. Some victims were as young as 14 years old. The fire and high cost of life was due to horrific working conditions.
The Triangle Shirtwaist factory was owned and operated by Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, two Russian immigrants who would amass considerable wealth in the garment industry. Triangle shirtwaists were button down blouses for women that were popular in the early 20th century. The garment industry was extremely competitive and profit margins were razor thin, therefore factory bosses forced their workers to work at a breakneck pace in order to stay competitive and maximize profits. Workers often worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Average weekly pay was 6–7 dollars.
Prior to the fire, there was a push for worker rights and unionization. Workers organized strikes and protests and advocated for less working hours and higher wages. This movement was met with fierce opposition from the factory owners. Members of the capitalist class hired thugs and prostitutes to rough up protestors, protestors who were mainly young, immigrant women. Not only did the protestors face violence enabled by the factory owners, they faced state sanctioned violence. The police were used to quell protests, they would arrest protestors and judges would convict and incarcerate protestors.
Due to a shift in public opinion, many began sympathizing with the protestors, many garment industry leaders gave into worker demands such as hiring union workers only, raising wages, and reducing worker hours. Max Blanck and Isaac Harris were resistant. While they did raise wages and lower hours, they refused to hire only union workers. They were also negligent when it came to the safety of their workers. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory was situated on the 9th floor of the Asch Building. A sprinkler system may have averted the fire altogether, yet the owners refused to install one. The owners placed profits over worker safety. They were extremely concerned with worker theft. At the end of the workday, all workers had to leave from a single exit and were inspected, the only other exit was locked.
It is surmised that the conflagration was caused by someone throwing away a cigarette in a wastebasket. The factory owner’s offices were located on the 10th floor. Once the fire started, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris were warned by phone. They were able to flee to the roof and make it to the building next door. The 200 workers on the 9th floor were not so fortunate. Once workers realized the building was on fire, they desperately attempted to flee. Some workers were able to take the elevator to safety. As the fire progressed, the elevator stopped operating; some workers were so panic stricken they jumped into the elevator shaft to their deaths. Some workers were able to use the fire escape, but as more and more people attempted this, the fire escape became overburdened and collapsed. Others tried to escape using the stairwell, but the door to the stairwell was locked. Many workers jumped from windows to their deaths, trying to escape the flames.
Some good did come about from this tragedy. Thirty new laws and regulations were enacted due to the fire. These regulations included standards for minimum wages, maximum working hours, workplace safety, and child labor. It is interesting to note that Max Blanck and Isaac Harris were brought up on manslaughter charges. Not only were they acquitted, they received an insurance payout from the destruction of their factory. Funny how that works out.
Of course nothing like this could ever happen today, right? Wrong! Lets talk about the Rana Plaza collapse.
The Rana Plaza collapse was one of the worst industrial catastrophes ever. Occurring on April 24 2013 in Dhaka,Bangladesh, the collapse of the structure lead to the deaths of 1,134 garment workers. The Rana Plaza was a nine-story building which contained 5 garment factories as well as shops and a bank. A day before the collapse, large cracks in the structure were visible. The shops and the bank were closed, yet garment workers were ordered to continue working. In the immediate aftermath of the collapse, over 1,000 survivors were rescued from the rubble, some requiring the amputation of limbs.
The Rana Plaza collapse was the result of greed and indifference to the well being of workers. The building was erected without meeting construction codes, and the owner of the building, Sohel Rana, illegally added floors to the structure which made the plaza unstable. An engineer inspected the building a day prior to the collapse and recommended the building be closed. The engineer’s warning was disregarded and 1,134 people lost their lives.
The similarities between the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire and the Rana Plaza collapse are undeniable; factory owners cutting corners to maximize profits. The exploitation of marginalized and mainly female workers. A large, avoidable death toll. There are also differences between the 2 events. The Triangle Shirtwaist factory was located in New York, and most of its products were sold in department stores also in New York. In contrast, the Rana Plaza was located in the developing nation of Bangladesh and most of its products were exported to wealthy, western countries.
The rise of globalization has meant that we in the wealthy, western countries have wide access to a plethora of low priced consumer goods. This comes with a high human cost. The garment industry (similar to the chocolate industry, read about that here) is extremely exploitative. Workers in developing countries work in horrendous conditions making starvation wages while multinational corporations based in the west make eye popping profits. Keep in mind that global brands such as Wal-Mart, the GAP, and Adidas sold products that were manufactured in the Rana Plaza. This demonstrates that the global north’s economies are entirely dependent on exploiting the developing world.