Triangle Shritwaist Factory Fire

After the fire, on April 5th, around 350,000 people marched on New York's Fifth Avenue in support of stronger labor unions advocating for workers' rights and safety, specifically the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. The increased pressure from labor unions influenced key figures like Senator Robert F. Wagner into introducing stricter codes. The automatic sprinkler law of 1913 required sprinkler systems.

Factory exit and fire drill law of 1911 required lighted exit signs, and outward opening exit doors in all NYC factories. These augmented the New York City Fire Prevention Bureau, which had the authority to inspect factories, enforce safety standards, and mandate upgrades. This was accepted by many of the people lobbying for change, as the Factory Investigating Commission's own reports of factories across the state were used to justify the creation of the bureau. The problem with this act was that it was not well enforced, leading to minimal change.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 provides workers with minimum wage, overtime pay, and child labor protections. The FLSA covers almost all private and public sector employees. Employers can pay subminimum wages to new hires under age 20, full-time students, and student learners employed as part of a vocational training program. This law also requires employers to pay time-and-a-half wage to workers who work more than 40 hours a week. The FLSA establishes a general minimum age of 16 years for employment in nonhazardous occupations and 18 years for hazardous occupations. This was another one of FDR's New Deal reforms.