Working people around the country are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist fire, which killed 146 workers, mostly young immigrant women, many of whom jumped to their deaths from the 10-story factory to escape the fire because they were locked inside.

If you are in the Washington, D.C., area, the AFL-CIO is hosting a free screening of the PBS film, “Triangle Fire,” beginning at noon on March 25 at the AFL-CIO.

The Triangle Shirtwaist fire was the deadliest workplace accident in New York City’s history. After the fire, the women workers’ stories inspired hundreds of activists across the state and the nation to push for fundamental reforms. For some, such as Frances Perkins, who stood helpless watching the factory burn, the tragedy inspired a lifetime of advocacy for workers’ rights. She later became secretary of labor under President Franklin Roosevelt.

If you can’t make it to the AFL-CIO screening, here are some other opportunities in the Washington area to commemorate this important event:

• Listen online to WPFW radio’s special broadcast on the fire featuring A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) President Clayola Brown and the Coalition of Labor Union Women’s (CLUW‘s) Joyce Miller, the first woman to serve on the AFL-CIO Executive Council. You can listen here until Monday, April 4.
• The Library of Congress Professional Guild/AFSCME Local 2910 is sponsoring a commemoration of the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire featuring Chris Llewellyn reading poems from her award-winning book Fragments from the Fire March 25 at noon in the Pickford Theater at the Library of Congress. Photographs from the Library’s Prints and Photographs Division will be presented and staff members will memorialize the tragic event in song. Call 202-707-6493 for more information.
• The Center for American Progress (CAP) will hold a screening of HBO’s “Triangle: Remembering The Fire,” followed by a discussion with Heather Boushey, CAP’s senior economist; Kirstin Downey, author of The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR’s Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience , and Michael Kazin, professor of history at Georgetown University. The film begins at noon on March 25 at  CAP, 1333 H St., N.W., Washington, D.C. Seating is limited. Click here for more information or to RSVP.
• The International Labor Rights Forum will hold an awards ceremony and reception commemorating Triangle and honoring “those who have shown an extraordinary commitment to workers in the U.S. and around the world.” The ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m. April 6 at the Communications Workers of America (CWA), 501 North Third Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.