Sweatshop Safety & Factory Disasters - From Today's Headlines

Can’t we improve sweatshop safety and avoid factory disasters? Do we humans ever learn?  We have factory disasters today just as we had factory disasters in the Victorian era.  In 1911 The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire was one of the deadliest industrial disasters in the history of the city of New York and resulted in the fourth highest loss of life from an industrial accident in U.S. history. It killed so many workers that Congress was forced to introduce safety requirements.  In 2013 the horrendous Bangladesh garment factory fire reminds us all of the results of exploitation combined with negligence.  With this recent catastrophe in mind it is clear that this flyer could have been published today in an attempt to accomplish similar, unremedied goals.  Sadly, union power, which helped protect workers against unfair treatment, has all but disappeared.  With governments aligning themselves with corporate interests, ignoring the needs of workers in their countries, only disasters can bring attention to these illegal conditions.This 1911 United Garment Workers flyer addressed these issues and encouraged prospective customers to purchase clothing manufactured under safe working conditions.  The backlash against criminal mismanagement lasts for a while - back in the early 20th Century for perhaps a few years, with the recent Bangladesh disaster, perhaps a few months. The cycles of exploitation for profit, now in a global economy, can be charted. After a disaster, things improve when consumers no longer buy from offending corporations and laws are passed to prevent future recurrences. But over time memories fade and a slow erosion of regulation enforcement produces a system that encourages profit over safety. And then, another tragedy, another wake up call. Do we humans ever learn?