WHAT: Three events commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, which took the lives of 150 factory workers, most of them poor immigrant women, and led to passage of the most sweeping set of workplace labor reforms in America.
Sponsored by the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), United College Employees of FIT, and the Market Cultures Group NYC. The March 23 event is also sponsored by the International Labor Rights Forum, the Garment Industry Development Corporation, and Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union.
WHEN/WHO: Wednesday, March 9—Stories and Songs of the Triangle Fire.
Speakers: novelists Meredith Tax (Rivington Street); Kevin Baker, (Dreamland); and Katharine Weber (Triangle). Songs and readings by FIT students.
Friday, March 18—Women’s Rights and Women’s Clothes.
Speakers: Janie Bryant, costume designer, Mad Men; Kathy Peiss, professor of American History, University of Pennsylvania; Daniel Cole, fashion historian and adjunct assistant professor, FIT. The audience will contribute stories about how they have used clothing to win respect in the workplace.
Wednesday, March 23—Not One More Fire! Finding Solutions to Today’s Sweatshops.
Panel discussion about initiatives by industry, government, and workers to humanize the global garment industry and promote the local industry. Panelists: Kalpona Akter, executive director, Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity; Bjorn Claeson, director, SweatFree Communities, International Labor Rights Forum; and Mitch Cahn, president, Unionwear. FIT students will present a runway fashion show of garments that express their feelings about various workplace issues.
TIME/PLACE:
5:30 pm at FIT, Seventh Ave. at 27 St., D Building.
The March 9 and March 18 events will be in the Katie Murphy Amphitheatre.
The March 23 event will be in the John E. Reeves Great Hall.
Free and Open to the Public
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