The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire caused an outburst of anger from labor activists demanding safer work environments and better safety requirements for workplaces. In the aftermath of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, in which 146 workers died trapped in the burning building, Schneiderman presented a speechI would be a traitor to these poor burned bodies if I came here to talk good fellowship. We have tried you good people of the public - and we have found you wanting...This is not the first time girls have been burned alive in the city. Every week I must learn of the untimely death of one of my sister workers. Every year thousands of us are maimed. The life of men and women is so cheap and property is so sacred. There are so many of us for one job it matters little if 143 of us are burned to death. - Rose Schneiderman, 1909This further strengthened her role as an activist for women's labor unions.