Memorial dedication held near Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire site in Lower Manhattan
NEW YORK -- A special ceremony took place in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday to remember the 146 women and girls who died in one of the worst fires in the city's history.
A memorial dedication was held near the site of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.
The names of the victims are etched on a monument where the building stood.
On March 25, 1911, a fire broke out in the garment factory. Workers were trapped in the nine-story building located on Washington Street in Greenwich Village.
Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su paid tribute and talked about how the tragedy propelled the labor movement to fight for change.
"State level health and safety standards for factory workers, a nationwide minimum wage, social security, the unemployment insurance safety net and restrictions on child labor," she said.
Many victims died after jumping out of the building to escape the flames.
The memorial tells the story of the fire in English, Yiddish and Italian -- the languages spoken by the victims.