Until September 11, 2001, The Triangle Shirtwaste Fire on March 25, 1911 was the deadliest workplace disaster in the history of New York City. The fire shocked the nation and exposed the life-threatening conditions in America’s sweatshop industry. It gave energy to the labor movement and unions, and remade the Democratic Party.

David Von Drehle, a political writer for the Washington Post is the author of “Triangle, the Fire That Changed America.” It’s a detailed examination of how one event changed the course of the 20th century politics and labor relations.

At the end of his book Von Drehle concludes that the workers who fought the management in 1909 and died in the fire of 1911, where they were locked in the building during the fire, did not die in vain.

I spoke with David Von Drehle by phone from New York City and asked him to tell us how that awful fire changed America.

The book he recommends “Plunkitt of Tammany Hall” by William Riordan.

Until September 11, 2001, The Triangle Shirtwaste Fire on March 25, 1911 was the deadliest workplace disaster in the history of New York City. The fire shocked the nation and exposed the life-threatening conditions in America’s sweatshop industry. It gave energy to the labor movement and unions, and remade the Democratic Party.

David Von Drehle, a political writer for the Washington Post is the author of “Triangle, the Fire That Changed America.” It’s a detailed examination of how one event changed the course of the 20th century politics and labor relations.

At the end of his book Von Drehle concludes that the workers who fought the management in 1909 and died in the fire of 1911, where they were locked in the building during the fire, did not die in vain.

I spoke with David Von Drehle by phone from New York City and asked him to tell us how that awful fire changed America.

The book he recommends “Plunkitt of Tammany Hall” by William Riordan.