U.S. Department of Labor

Manhattan

Great Hall at Cooper Union — 7 E. Seventh Street, NY, NY 10003

Headquarters for successful 1909 strike and general union activities.


Map location of the Great Hall at Cooper Union


The Great Hall at Cooper Union at around the turn of the 20th Century. This was the location of a call for a general strike in 1909 after the owners of Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fired 150 workers suspected of being union sympathizer. The strike helped improve working conditions for about 15,000 workers. Coincidentally, the strike did not effect the working conditions at the Triangle Shirtwaist, whose owners refused to recognize unions or improve conditions.


Clara Lemlich, injured by a beating from anti-union thugs, broke through the crowd at the 1909 meeting and, with an impassioned impromptu speech, convinced the workers to strike.

Manhattan Fire Department Engine Company 33

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