Comments on: 100 years ago today

By: Amy

Amy — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:59:56 +0000

Oh hell yes!

By: Catie

Catie — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:08:26 +0000

Amen.
Thanks for posting this. And I love Crush’s cape.

By: Catie

Catie — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 15:08:26 +0000

Amen.
Thanks for posting this. And I love Crush’s cape.

By: Lindsey @ Yarnia

Lindsey @ Yarnia — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 20:30:05 +0000

Thank you for the great post and links to resources about the Triangle fire — a great reminder that it’s important to keep in mind the not-so-awesome sides of the textile industry. LOVE the wiener cape, that’s hilarious!!!

By: Ashley

Ashley — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:07:00 +0000

I just linked this to Alex because she’s teaching a class today about precisely this. You are a wealth of resources!

By: GinkgoKnits

GinkgoKnits — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 10:13:06 +0000

I’m lucky enough to still be eligible for my father’s Teamsters negotiated health insurance. This includes a “cadillac” dental insurance plan that pays 90% of most costs and with a high enough maximum that it will actually pay for a root canal.

It drives me crazy that people look at this type of insurance and think it came instantly upon paying union dues. It took decades of union membership and participation to get such good insurance. It took years of explaining to other people that benefits can be more important than salary. My father stayed a Teamster and traded making thousands more to ensure excellent health insurance for his family. From my perspective, unions don’t need to do much in the short term if the trade-off is that they will show up throughout your career to confront your employer and say, “this is not acceptable, do better.”

I’m elated with recent news-making scenes like your’s showing lots of people (especially young people like me) standing up for worker’s rights and union. Hurray for you!

By: Brenda

Brenda — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 05:54:00 +0000

Good for you and Crush to demonstrate! My mom is a retired teacher in WI, and gov. Walker better hope he never meets her.

Heard that there is a MO representative who wants to repeal the child labor laws the Triangle fire helped to bring about. Drives me crazy!

By: CindyK

CindyK — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 02:20:15 +0000

Great post! As a former Michigander with most of my family still there, I have been appalled at Rick Snyder’s actions. I wish I were there to dress my Dachshund in a matching wiener cape. And really great tie-in to the Triangle fire. I read Dave Von Drehle’s book “Triangle” many years ago, but hadn’t stopped to make the connection between the exploitation of workers at that time and the appalling trends we’re seeing now in places like Wisconsin. (I can’t wait for my kids to be taught by $8/hour workers with no insurance or pension; THEN I’m sure we’ll be leaving no child behind…) Thanks for the thought-provoking post.

By: Veronique

Veronique — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 00:33:24 +0000

There was a big to do at Washington square, right next to the building where the Triangle Shirtwaist factory used to be. In an odd twist of fate, I work in a building that is connected to it, which gives me the willies a little bit. They read the names of each victim and rang a bell after each name.

By: Nina

Nina — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:32:20 +0000

HEAR FUCKING HEAR.

As a radical economist, little gets my ire up the way that advocates for “voting with your dollars!” do — these strategies and tactics so privilege the wealthy, and miss the point that markets have never been the be-all-end-all arena for social change. Sadder still are the progressive types that buy the economist line that markets are the solution, and that if we can only make a market (and create the right incentives!) that things will get better. Action costs time and energy and …

Well, I’m preaching to the choir. But I love Crush’s sign, and I’m so happy that y’all are out there.