Green Party Honors Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Anniversary With Call to Protect Immigrant Workers

The Green Party of the United States commemorated the anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire this week, linking the 1911 disaster to modern immigration enforcement and labor issues while calling for stronger protections for workers.

In a statement to supporters Wednesday, the party honored the 146 workers who died in the fire, many of whom were young immigrants, saying they perished “due to locked doors and corporate greed.” It credited the disaster with helping to spur the modern movement for workplace safety and the right to organize.

The fire, one of the deadliest industrial disasters in U.S. history, broke out on March 25, 1911, in Manhattan, New York City. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the high death toll was exacerbated by locked exits, limited fire escapes, and hazardous working conditions inside the factory, which sparked widespread public outrage and calls for reform.

In its statement, the party argued that recent actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reflect “chilling echoes” of the disaster, saying a recent pattern of immigration raids and enforcement efforts contribute to a climate that suppresses wages and leaves workers vulnerable to exploitation by corporations.

“The Green Party of the United States stands in firm solidarity with all workers, regardless of documentation status,” the statement read. “We recognize that the same corporate greed that locked those doors in 1911 continues to threaten workers today through the criminalization of immigrant communities and the erosion of essential labor protections.”

The party called for a “healthy and just economy” that prioritizes individuals over profit, presenting several policy demands. These include an end to immigration raids and deportations, a living wage and safe working conditions for all workers regardless of status, stronger unions, and expanded protections for collective bargaining.

It also called for replacing the system entirely with one rooted in social justice and dignity, urging supporters to honor the memory of the victims by continuing to fight for the protection and respect of all workers.

Article image: “Mourners from the Ladies Waist and Dressmakers Union Local 25 and the United Hebrew Trades of New York march after the Triangle fire” (1911). Photographer unknown. Courtesy of the Kheel Center for Labor‑Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University. Image cropped. Public domain.