{"id":1153,"date":"2021-06-24T04:25:37","date_gmt":"2021-06-24T08:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pef.test\/member-resources\/health-safety\/"},"modified":"2026-03-27T14:39:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T18:39:08","slug":"health-safety","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.pef.org\/departments\/health-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Health & Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"

A message from PEF Health & Safety Director Joshua Kemp on the 115th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

115 Years. Never Forget. Never Stop Fighting.<\/div>\n
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On March 25, 1911, 146 garment workers, \u00a0mostly young immigrant women, lost their lives in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire<\/a> in New York City. Locked doors. No fire escapes. No way out. Their deaths were not an accident. They were the predictable result of ignored hazards, exploited workers, and the absence of anyone willing to stand between them and danger.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Their tragedy didn\u2019t just become a footnote in history. It became the foundation of the American labor movement\u2019s most sacred promise: that workers deserve to go home alive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Today, as members of the New York State Public Employees Federation, we carry that promise forward. PEF represents tens of thousands of public employees across New York \u2013 who serve our communities every day, in every corner of this state. Our work in health and safety isn\u2019t just about compliance; \u00a0it\u2019s a continuation of what those 146 workers died demanding.<\/div>\n
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The Triangle Shirtwaist fire taught us that safety doesn\u2019t happen by accident. It requires vigilance, advocacy, and people who refuse to look away. It requires unions.<\/div>\n
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115 years later, the work is not done. Hazards still exist. Workers still need voices. And PEF will keep being that voice \u2013 in the field, at the bargaining table, and in the halls of government.<\/div>\n
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To the 146: we remember you and we will continue to keep fighting because of you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cMourn for the dead and fight for the living.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0\u2013 Mother Jones<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Our comprehensive programs are designed to benefit PEF members in every agency. We provide information and technical assistance in a variety of ways. Programs include:<\/p>\n