- Include at least two "rights" that you feel are non-negotiable.
- Must be completed before 9am on Monday.
- Spelling/Grammar count!
Friday, September 6, 2013
Triangle Shirtwaist response.
Assume the identity of a relative of one of the women/men that died in the Triangle Shirtwaist fire. What basic rights do you think a worker in a factory or at any job require as part of their rights as human beings? Write a response to this statement using a name of a REAL person that died in the fire.
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ReplyDeleteMy daughter was killed in the triangle shirtwaist fire, and I think it could have gone differently if you would have just changed a few things for them. I know that my daughter would have been a lot happier if you would have given them more breaks, yes the 30 minutes for lunch was nice for them but they should have been given more breaks so they could get a drink or use the restroom or just even stretch their legs because they have been sitting for quiet some time. Along with that the hours were very long for them. They could have used some short hours for some days but some other days they could use long hours. It is hard on their bodies when they always have to work long hours and never get breaks while they are working. I think you need to balance out their hours to make it easier to come to work. They shouldn't have to come to work dreading their day of work. Just consider all of this for next time when you hire people to work for you. - Lindsay Jaso
ReplyDeleteIm fairly sure 90% of people still come to work dreading it, even with the new laws.
DeleteAs per the recent fire at the triangle shirtwaist company I would like to express my opinion about all of this. My daughter Rose Feibush was killed in the fire and the way I see it, workers should have been treated differently and maybe this could of been prevented. First of all I believe that employers need to be more adamant about workplace safety, the door being locked and all I feel like these practices were not entirely common. Second of all I would like to address the long working hours and low wages of the employees, this was absolutely unacceptable. Making less money than you should while working more hours than any normal human being should is a practice that is absolutely disgusting. I expect IF you ever do business in the future that you look into these ideas and actually implement them instead of neglecting employees. If you keep this kind of behaviour up then surely the union will take you down or many will boycott your goods. Have a nice day :).
ReplyDelete-John Feibush
-James Casimir
What about other rights?
DeleteMy daughter, Celia Eisnberg was a victim to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. She told me of the dangers in that place. During the summer the heat was so bad it was hard to breathe. Girls of all ages would be working some even to young. You would see them with bandages on their hands from hurting themselves from the machinery. This would not stop them from working, the lives of their families depended on them. It is said after the fire the doors were all locked which is what kept the girls inside and in turn led them to their deaths. Many people with money walk the streets and they look at us poor people and think this is their own fault, this is where they are meant to be. We are human beings, the same as anyone else. If your safety was in jeopardy would you not fight for it? Everyone has a right to personal safety this is something people agree on but do not ever enforce it.
ReplyDeleteBy the end of the week my little girl would come with no more than a $1.50. This money was not squandered on fashionable clothing or toys but was used for food to keep the rest of the children alive. Many of the families would go to sleep at night and listen to the children crying because of starvation. When you work you automatically deserve the correct amount of wages that is worth for the amount of time you have worked. Money would be deducted out of your pay for the use of the thread and, the electricity that you used. If you made even a small mistake the foreman or forelady would notice it and write it down in their book and take money out of your pay. These issues that have I have pointed out are non negotiable. We deserve the same respect as everyone else. No matter your gender, where you live or where you are from, we all have rights. ~Aubrey Koonce
My sister, Israel Rosen, was a victim of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire. She would come home most days complaining about almost everything that happened during her day at work. You could tell the heat exhaustion was getting to her. She looked smaller and smaller each week. No matter how hot you got, you had to keep working faster and faster, because your family would rely on you and the money you brought home. If you messed up on a shirt, even a small little mistake, you got docked in your pay. And your family is suffering because you couldn't make enough money to support them, or feed them each week. Children, some only 10 years of age, would be working along side their parents so that they could make money too. Nobody cared how old you were, or where you came from, you got treated poorly and didn't get paid what you deserved.
ReplyDeleteWalking in that room, down the aisle trying to find my sister was the worst thing I might have ever done. People in front of me, and people behind me were sobbing into each other because of the losses they have suffered. I was starting to lose faith in finding her because the row of bodies would soon be coming to an end, but thats when i spotted her. I couldn't recognize her by her face or body, because that was all gone. The thing that made me know it was her, was the ring she had always warn. She didnt feel right not wearing that ring. I see other people crying and moaning because they miss their loved ones that had passed in the fire but, at least they dont have to work in that dreaded factory again. Its sad to see that laws and standards had to change after a massive, massive loss like this.
-Aryzona Becker
DeleteMy sister, Carrie Ozzo was an employee in the Triangle Shirtwaist company and was consumed by the flame while attempting to escape the building. While I was lucky enough to find a job with more ideal working conditions, Carrie wasn't so lucky. She would come home at times with bandaged fingers but rarely made mistakes. Carrie couldn't afford to make mistakes because she brought in the biggest income of the family. This is where I believe that the work place safety and conditions put all employees at risk. Although the large windows gave the employees a view and plenty of light, the winters were extremely cold and the summers so hot they could barely breathe. It is not fair to ask employees to work in these conditions and then pay them the smallest amount of money possible.
ReplyDeleteCarrie would tell me stories about the bosses who would come down now and then to stand over you and watch you work. She said you could only hope you didn't make a mistake right in front of him. The fact that they worked for minimum wage was bad enough but they weren't allowed any days off. If someone had a sick child or were sick themselves they couldn't take any time off or they would be fired. They also had to work fourteen hours straight with one lunch break. It was difficult for us to find her but the necklace that she wore everyday allowed us to identify her. No family should have to go through losing a loved one in this way and this is why I believe that something needs to be done.
- Caylee Richardson
My sister, Julia Aberstein recently passed away in the Triangle Shirtwaist fire. Throughout Julia's life she always was a nice, kind-hearted, well behaved, hard working girl. When she joined the shirtwaist factory, not only did it change her, it changed the rest of our family as well. Julia stopped coming home for meals; and when she did come home, I could hear hear crying in the other room. She constantly complained to my mother and father about the horrible working conditions. The girls who worked at the factory never got breaks, and were paid very, very low salaries.
ReplyDeleteAs a citizen of this country, Julia, and all of the other girls, deserved rights. We all deserve rights. To take those away is an insult to the Constitution of the United States. Julia came home starving everyday, but never ate because she was too tired. Julia tried to provide for the family with her low-paying salary, but always struggled because she never had time to bring home what was needed. The families of the victims from the shirtwaist fire will never forgive the factory owners. You all overworked those women to the point many of them died even before the fire. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Killing innocent women, who you probably didn't even know the names of. As I previously stated, we all deserve rights, and we will do whatever we have to do until we get them.
-Maggie Aberstein
-Bailey Barker
My name is Mrs. Ellen Pack and my daughter Annie Pack was one of the girls killed in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. I believe that there are basic human rights that all employees should be allowed to have. One of these rights would be the right of safety. I believe that if safer conditions existed at the factory, that many of the girls would have survived. Safety features that should be added to all factories would include: unlocking the doors into the factory rooms; installing sprinkler and fire alarms; not having bars on the windows; and having portable fire extinguishers in all rooms. These safety features would have saved multiple lives that day.
ReplyDeleteAnother basic right that all employees should have, would be the right of healthy working conditions and fair pay. My daughter would often tell of having to work hours on end without a break. All employees should be granted several breaks throughout the day in order to have a drink of water or use the restroom. The working conditions in the factory should also not endanger the health of the employees, especially in the hot summer months. Those working in the factory often suffered from dehydration and heat exhaustion. Fans in the rooms or opening the windows could have helped these conditions. Fair pay is also an important right. All employees should have a guaranteed minimum wage and should not be penalized for damaged garments.
If laws had been in place to protect these essential human rights, then I believe that many could have lived through this horrible fire. We all deserve to have these basic human rights. I know my Annie would still be alive today and might have even enjoyed her job at the factory if these basic rights would have been met.
Kelsey
My daughter, Ida Brodsky was one of the many citizens killed in the horrific Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. She along with lots of the other girls had their whole lives ahead of them, and were too young to die. I hope she will be remembered for the kind, responsible, and hard working girl that her father and I raised her to be. As a strong girl Ida never cried, but some days she would come home from work flushed with tears running down her face. Ida also lost weight, after two weeks of working she lost at least ten pounds. She said she never got a break to eat or to use the restroom. From the stories she told me that the factory was an inhumane place to work.
ReplyDeleteI know that many more women would have lived that day if simple precautions were introduced in all workplace environments. I think that each building should always have at least two emergency stairways. That way everyone could have an alternate way out in emergency circumstances besides jumping, which led many women to their deaths that day. Also employees everywhere should be able to have breaks, you cannot work when you are half starved. I think that if the women could have had at least a twenty-five minute break during the day to eat, visit, and use the bathroom. These rights along with many more should be mandatory in all workplace environments to prevent something this tragic from happing again. My family lost a special member that day, and we are going to forever suffer from her loss. No one should have to go through something this tragic knowing that it could have easily been prevented.
-Liz Brodsky
-Anna Grimsley
My daughter, Rosalie Maltese recently died in the tragic fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory a few days ago due to the awful circumstances of the workplace. Rosalie was only 14, but she was a hard worker and helped provide for our family. Never once did I hear Rosalie complain about her job or the way she was treated at the Shirtwaist factory. Although, I did hear from her coworkers that they were treated terribly and the working conditions were horrible.
ReplyDeleteRosalie’s coworkers stated that the rooms they worked in, sewing the shirtwaists were dimly lit, dirty, and poorly ventilated. I believe that workplace safety is highly important and these working conditions were unacceptable. The other women also said that the men in charge of the factory would constantly be watching over them, making sure that they were always working. The women could not take breaks or have time off. The men also made sure that the exits were always locked, to prevent the employees from stealing material. (This eventually contributed to the fire) The workers should also have minimum wage, I was told that the workers were “paid by the piece” which is unacceptable, due to the fact that their sewing machines would stop working and they were blamed for it.
All together I believe that workers should be treated respectively, receive a minimum wage, be able to take days off, have breaks, and the working conditions in the building should be acceptable. If I had known about the terrible environment of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory and the unreasonable rules I would have not let my 14-year-old daughter work there.
-Ida Maltese
-Sydney Reeves
I recall the day of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire vividly. My twin sister, Freda Velakowsky was one of many victims involved in the tragedy. She survived a jump from the 8th floor, only to pass away in the hospital three days later. Our family had immigrated to America in search of a more prosperous life two years previous. Dear Freda had a health condition that put limitations on how long her body could tolerate being in a work place environment. With this being said, the responsibly of providing a portion of the families income was placed heavily on my shoulders. However, Freda’s health had drastically improved after a generous doctor gave her medication. It was early spring and I had come down with a sudden fever. My sister knew that my absence at work would result in the loss of my job. She volunteered to take on my sewing machine until I was well and able. It was a cruel twist of fate for Freda to be taken by the fire instead of myself.
ReplyDeleteWorking as an employee at the Shirtwaist Factory was nothing but miserable. I tried my best to maintain my optimism, yet it grew harder each day. The conditions of the factory were dreadful, I cringe just thinking about what all us ladies endured. Firstly, our wages were dreadfully small, even after the strike. There was a day that the foreman demanded I owed one dollar to the owners, as I had used too much extra thread to mend my mistakes. I took pride in my ability to sew flawlessly, but that day my machine was on the fritz. of course that was no excuse to my boss, no matter what we were to blame.
Secondly, each of us feared working at the Shirtwaist factory. How could those men pay no head to our own health and safety? To them I was cheap labor, and easily replaceable. There were many accounts on which my finger was punctured by the needle, or a barrel of fabric was dropped atop my feet from an unstable shelving system.
The unjust conditions of the factory systems are creating much loss for families in New York. I am not nearly satisfied with my experiences in American thus far. We were each promised a greater future and I will not abstain from acting out towards these inequalities until change is granted.
-Anna Keller
Recently my little sister Mary Goldstien was killed in the shirtwaist fire. If no one will address the issues in these factories I will. When coming to America we are told that we have freedom, rights, and democracy but these factories are an example to the flaws in that statement. If not upon arrival shortly after you realize your place on the food chain, if you are at the top you were born there if not then learn your place and embrace it.
ReplyDeleteA nonnegotiable right for a work place should be that if you show up for work then you are paid for the time you are working. Late or not, labor should not be free for anyone. In so many of these factories they get away with abuse of the workers just because they are replaceable. But these jobs aren't just activities because the people have nothing better to do, they have these jobs to help feed their families, and working for free isn't going to help them accomplish anything. Just because the workers are replaceable doesn't make them any less human than the owners of the factories which brings me to my other nonnegotiable right. A worker should NOT have to worry about losing their job because of uncontrollable causes. If a worker is sick they should be allotted some sick time, days off. Because I'm sure the bosses aren't perfect either, everyone gets sick and they can't help it. Having to constantly look over your shoulder in fear of being replaced by someone new, better, or younger isn't necessary. Lastly is the treatment of workers. Yes they are on your payroll but they are no less human than you, therefore they deserved to be treated as such. They are not dogs nor robots and should not be expected to work as such things. These expectations and requests are not impossible in fact they are very do-able and workers from here on will expect these in a work place, so you are welcome for the update.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Goldstien
-Michaela Adams
My niece, Sonia Wondross was one of the many young girls who were killed in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. This tragic event saddens my heart but also gives me drive to fight for the rights that I believe those girls should have had. When working in a factory there needs to be set rules and fair rights.
ReplyDeleteThe first, is that I believe factory workers should be allowed more breaks. it seems simple, but its a basic human right that you should be allowed to go to the bathroom when you need to or to take break. In their case, they had to sit in front of a sewing machine all day and never even got to rest their hands for five minutes. That is not only cruel but unhealthy.
Secondly, the safety in the workplace should be more important than it is now. My niece came home from work in terrible pain several days out of the week from getting her fingers caught in the sewing machine and just having to wrap it with a cloth. That is terribly unsanitary and I think the health of the workers should be top ranked.
Lora Ferguson
A few weeks ago my brother, Morris Bernstein, in the Shirtwaist fire he was only 19. I feel as though if some laws were in place that laborers would be safer at work. Like no more than 10 hour work days and after 8 hours its overtime. Most importantly no smoking in the work place because that would of saved my brothers lived.
ReplyDeleteBraden Weber
Mary Herman was not just another worker in the Factory. She was a mother, a wife, a daughter and much more. When my family first found out that my mom had been killed in the Shirtwaist Factory fire we were devastated and didn’t know what we were going to do without her. But then as we all thought about it and talked about we realized that there were several different regulations that if they had been different that she still may be alive and with us today. And that is why today we are writing you this letter because things need to be changed so that this does not happen again and no one will have to go through what we are going through again. First of all you make these women come in and work for very little money in the first place and then you charge them for the electricity and supplies they are using to make your products. That is ridiculous! If they mess up you charge them, which is not fair. There needs to be a set minimum wage for everybody so that they get the hourly wage that they deserve for their hard work.
ReplyDeleteAnother major issue is that there were no workplace safety regulations, if there would have been 2 fire escapes my mother may have made it out alive. My mother used to tell me horrid stories about how the bosses would lock one of the exits so that they could monitor everyone leaving to make sure no one was stealing. But look where that landed everyone, most everybody died because there was only one exit that was unlocked. People were pushing and shoving trying to get into the elevator and after it had left people were getting pushed into the shaft and falling to their death. If the bosses had not locked that door people could have made it out alive and my mother could still be here and everyone else’s loved ones that died in the fire. All these issues need to be solved so that this devastation does not ever happen again. Everyone deserves rights, no matter who you are or where you are from.
-Joe Herman
-Bryce Bruner
My wife was killed in the fire. Her name was Mary Herman. She was the kindest person you could ever hope to meet. The negligence of the bosses at the factory was so extreme, they had no regard for the workers. My wife would still be alive it the company would have taken some precautions to this sort of accident. They could start with putting a fire extinguisher at every exit. Also they could have had a training for the workers letting them know what to do in the event of a fire. My wife died making 7 cents an hour. There should be some kind of minim wage set for workers all over the country. I hope nothing like this ever happens again, and i also hope that many steps will be taken to prevent something like this from happening again.
ReplyDelete-Christian Graber
My sister Ida Brodsky was killed in the triangle shirtwaist fire, if nobody does anything about it, I will. I was told of equality and Freedom and none of this is true. Their is a social food chain, either you are born on the top or your struggling to keep food on the table for your family.
ReplyDeleteTheir should be safety regulations in place so this doesn't happen again, for example the fire escape on the outside of the wall, have regular check ups and be stronger then the last. There should be a fire escape door always unlocked. another regulation is minimum wage so every family here isn't struggling to feed their children. Some families the children are feeding the family and sometimes what they make just isn't enough money
-Andrew Abbott
1. right should be safety at work. They made the workers work none stop. Had little kids working. The workers never had a break. They didn't have any air condition no heater.
ReplyDelete2. Employers should treat employees with respect. If the boss doesn't have respect towards their employees then the employees won't do their best. All the employees could quit or the complete opposite and go on strike like during the book.
Felisha
My sister, Ether Harris was 21 when she died in the triangle Shirtwaste factory fire by falling down the elevator shoot and broke her back. I remember when she would come home and complain to us because she couldn't at work without getting in trouble. We would always talk about safety at her work. She always talked about not being able to go to the bathroom while at work. Or during Winter when they didn't have heating. When mom and dad got involved they would always talk about the boss not having respect for their workers. How they were always rude towards the women. Not just the women either. Ether, said that they would always walk back and forth. Didn't ever let them talk and never said any nice things towards them.
Delete-Felisha
My daughter Caputta was a worker and a victim of the Shirtwaist factory fire. She was only 17 years of age when she burned to death before i even knew it. Every day she would come home crying telling me how bad she was treated at her job, how she would have no respect by her bosses. She would tell me how the factory was unsafe, there were no emergencies exits or windows. The machines would cut her fingers and her hands. None of the girls had Health Insurance so if they got hurt on the job the bosses weren't responsible. I think as human beings we should have the right to work in much safer conditions, also every worker should have insurance no matter the case. We are humans and we should start getting treated like ones.
ReplyDeleteAlso my daughter Caputta would come home crying because she wouldn't make enough money and she felt like she let the family down. No matter how early she would leave for work or how late she would come she never got paid what she deserved. I think we have the right to get payed fairly depending on the hours we work.
Alexis Ramirez
This tragedy took many loved ones away from us, including my sister. I feel like the outcome may have been less devastating if the company was run differently. I remember my sister coming home and telling stories of pinning herself with the needle, and not being able to go bandage it. I think these women needed periodic breaks throughout the day to take care of things like that and to use the restroom and stretch. There would be less mistakes in your shirts with these breaks, considering they would be able to focus better. I also think the company should take blame for faulty sewing machines instead of taking it out of the women's pay. These machines have flaws that the workers could not avoid. These are some of my concerns that I hope you consider when hiring again. -Hannah Weber
ReplyDeleteThroughout my whole childhood my sister Sadie Nussbaum, was my best friend. I knew I could count on her no matter what, she always knew just the right thing to say or do to make my troubles better. Once she started working at the Shirtwaist Factory, I saw her less and less. The hours were long and harsh. Sadie of course, didn’t complain because she knew that our family was left with no other option. I was worried, there was no way working that long, every single day could be healthy for someone. Some days, it didn’t even feel like Sadie was part of the family. That was the worst feeling ever, not to mention she was only eighteen. No one much less, an eighteen year old should have to work that hard for that length of time.
ReplyDeleteWhen someone is already fighting for their life as well as their family’s, they should not have to worry about safe working conditions. There should be no question about it, a safe working environment should be a given. Each and everyday you should not have to wonder if your loved one will make it home that night. Obviously, after this fire and the many casualties there needs to be enough available exits for everyone to get out safely, incase of an emergency. Not only that, but there also needs to be steps taken to make the whole environment more comfortable. When I did see Sadie, she would tell of those who had to be taken away because of heat stroke, and or dehydration. If there were requirements for safe working conditions and maximum hours, so much pain, sorrow and grief could have been avoided.
-Rose Nussbaum
-Kaeli Ellison
My twice removed cousins sister best friends half sister was Tina Frank, She was only 17 when she died in the shirt waist factory. She would tell my twice removed cousin how terrible the work conditions were and how terrible the pay was. She worked a lot of hours and got paid close to nothing. The way she died was when the shirt waist factory bursted with flames, she ran to the door that was locked and broke it down. When she broke down the door flames flew everywhere and she turned around ran and jumped out the window and landed on her feet but the impact killed her.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there should be a minimum wage for people so people don't get under paid and i believe that there should be better work conditions for people.
-Justin Smith
Sonia Wondross was my daughter. I am so disappointed in the triangle shirt company. They put my child and so many in danger everyday at that building. This was the final straw for me, I need to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.
ReplyDeleteI feel like one of the most important things that need to change about how these businesses work are the dangerous conditions and pressure put on the women and or any human begin in that case. All the women in that factory were put under tremendous pressure to get as many shirts done as they possible could, these men ran them all out of energy by the end of the day.
Another right that goes well with the last is, giving breaks and days off. Not over working the workers. Giving bathroom breaks and lunches. These breaks will help the worker to come back from them and work even harder and possible more efficient.
-Erin Buller
Dear Editor
ReplyDeleteI HATED YOUR RADIO BROADCAST!!!!! I was on my way to work at KFC when i heard about what i thought was real. Once i heard it i went and grabbed my kids and my life partner from my house. As we were driving back to our dwelling unit we heard about the black smoke. So before we got to my house we took off our shirts and put them over our faces. After that I took them to our basement then i got a ladder and went and got on top of my house and was about to jump and kill my self. As i was eating what i thought would be my last piece of chicken. I shed one tear before i took my first bite of it. Once i was finished with the chicken my life partner runs out and tells me that it was all fake!
Like I said i hated the broadcast. But it was really believable, especially about that black smoke. Me and my life partner really believed it! We got to the point to where we were about to sacrifice our kids to martians! Thanks a lot i hope some one kicks you where it hurts.
J.Smizzle(Justin)