1. Union Protesting
1.1. Thousand of Woman Protest
1.1.1. Woman joined from all over NY
1.1.1.1. The woman joined, the larger the movement came. Most small business chose to unionize.
1.1.2. This movement gained support from a few rich woman
1.1.2.1. These rich woman helped spread their messages to the local reporters
1.1.3. Woman started to get beaten and jailed for protesting
1.1.3.1. The corporate owners bribed the police and legal system to beat/jail/brutalize these woman
1.2. Shirtwaist Woman Workers Unhappy
1.2.1. Woman worked 12+ hours a day, 6 days a week
1.2.1.1. Worker wanted their hours reduced to 8 hours
1.2.2. Woman from ages 14 to 23 were prominently working in the shirtwaist industry in NY
1.2.2.1. These young workers had to make an income for their families
1.2.3. In order to feed their families, they had to comply with harsh working environments to gain a paycheck.
1.2.3.1. Their paychecks were frequently deducted for minor mistakes or errors.
1.3. Women wanted to be in Unions for better working conditions
1.3.1. Workers were not allowed to take breaks.
1.3.1.1. The office supervisor would lock the door so workers could not leave without being inspected beforehand because they feared they would steal.
1.3.2. Workers had to pay for any materials damaged or machinery breaking down.
1.3.2.1. Woman who broke a needle, would have it deducted from her paycheck.
1.3.3. Workers were paid very little while the owners were millionaires.
1.3.3.1. Worker barely made enough to survive and wanted to be treated as fair employees.
2. Fire
2.1. Started by a cigarette being through in the trash
2.1.1. This started making the fire grow
2.1.2. The elevators were trying to get as many people out as it could, but it couldn't keep up
2.1.2.1. Some workers escaped
2.2. The owners saw the smoke and escaped
2.2.1. Owners escaped by never notified the workers
2.2.1.1. Most of the woman who died were immigrants
2.2.2. People on the street could see the workers jumping from windows, and screaming for help
2.2.2.1. It is estimated that 143 workers died, all woman except 23.
2.3. The fire grew by all the material in the office and the residue in the air from the sewing machines
2.3.1. The fire quickly grew
2.3.1.1. The youngest who died was 14 years old
2.3.2. Fire Department came within 30 minutes from a call, but it was to late.
3. ASH Building
3.1. Locked Door
3.1.1. The supervisor kept the door locked
3.1.1.1. The key was never retrieved when the fire ensued
3.1.2. The locked door was the main route for escape
3.1.2.1. The door remained locked for the entire fire
3.1.3. Even though workers tried to break through it
3.1.3.1. Workers were unsuccessfully trying to break it down
3.2. Damaged Fire Escape
3.2.1. The fire escape was damaged and unusable
3.2.1.1. The fire escape was worthless
3.2.2. Elevator
3.2.2.1. The elevator was able to carry workers down but could not get everyone. Workers fell to their death by trying to jump on the elevator or was accidentally pushed off.
3.2.3. Workers jumped from windows to escape the fire
3.2.3.1. One woman survived the jump but died shortly afterwards
3.3. No Proper Fire Warning
3.3.1. The owners got a call that there was a fire
3.3.1.1. The owners escaped successfully
3.3.2. Nobody let the 8th and 9th floor workers know
3.3.2.1. Most of these floors workers died
3.3.3. The workers found out about the fire by the smoke in the area
3.3.3.1. By the time the workers knew what was happening, it was too late.
4. Safety Protocols
4.1. This fire created national change
4.1.1. The community was in disbelief
4.1.2. 143 workers died due to negligence
4.1.3. Communities outraged
4.1.3.1. Many factories had little to no protocols in place
4.2. Fire Safety Standards
4.2.1. All public building have standards they must follow
4.2.2. The fire standard include safety drills, emergency exists, smoke detectors
4.2.2.1. These are mandatory in ALL U.S buildings
4.3. Fire Department have better standards
4.3.1. Due to the lack of resources for the FD they weren't able to reach the stories they needed
4.3.2. The ladder only went to the 6th floor
4.3.2.1. The workers were on the 8th and 9th story.
4.3.3. Fire Department nows have to have ladders that can accommodate tall buildings
5. Community Upheaval
5.1. Due to the serious of the events, the community was outraged
5.1.1. Husbands, daughters, sisters and children had to identify the bodies
5.1.1.1. The community gave victims of the families money and charitable donations
5.1.2. Many children were left without mothers
5.1.2.1. The community created a burial/memorial
5.2. The owners were charged with manslaughter
5.2.1. The owners were acquitted
5.2.1.1. The owners moved away
5.2.2. The victims never got the justice from the ones who should have been making sure things were safe
5.2.2.1. This created a national change of events
5.3. This created safety standards
5.3.1. Because of what happened, this created standards for all public buildings.
5.3.1.1. All building need to be "to code."