Too many workers are still dying 103 years after Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

Bodies of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire victims in coffins on the sidewalk

Far too many workers are still dying on the job in the United States, 103 years after the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire killed 146 garment workers in New York City. Though the tragedy inspired better safety standards, 12 workers are still killed every day on the job in the United States. 

The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire was one of the deadliest industrial accidents in history. It didn't have to be. When the fire broke out, workers jumped from the eight, ninth and tenth floors to escape the flames. They couldn't take the fire escapes because the owners had locked them to prevent theft and breaks.

Unions struggled for decades to improve working conditions. It's an issue especially dear to Teamsters' hearts because highway accidents are the leading cause of death on the job. Truck drivers are more likely to die at work than people in any other occupation.

• Today, according to the Associated Press, two people died in northeast Kansas after a cellphone tower they were working on collapsed. 
• At 2 a.m. last night, a 41-year-old workers was killed doing maintenance work on a piece of underground mining machinery at an Indiana coal mine.  
• On Friday, a 48-year-old female construction worker was killed on Interstate 44 when a dumptruck backed into her. 
• On Sunday, a flagman was killed in a two-car highway accident in Mississippi. 
• A 21-year-old worker died Wednesday after he fell 180 feet from a water tower in Maryland. 

Just do a Google search using the terms 'worker killed.' You'll get plenty of results.