Legacy
Local 25 members mourning, 1911, Kheel Center, Cornell University.
Who is Responsible?, 1911, Kheel Center, Cornell University.
The Locked Door!, 1911, Kheel Center, Cornell University.
Inspector of Buildings! , 1911, Kheel Center, Cornell University.
Although the uprising was important in itself, its effects were overshadowed by the tragic fire. New York’s Investing Committee recommended better conditions and fire preparations. The ILGWU grew stronger, eventually leading to the formation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 1970. Strike participants went on to support other Progressive Era causes, such as women’s suffrage. Women of the Progressive Era also supported causes like temperance, mental health reform, and prison reform. To this day, the fire is known as one of the worst workplace tragedies in New York history. Instead of a strike, it took a tragedy for true change to happen.
Union members gathered around Longman memorial, 1968, Kheel Center, Cornell University.