The Outcome of Organized Efforts of Workers in the Lowell and Triangle Factories in the 19th century - Case Study Example

The Lowell Factory is located beside the Pawtucket Falls. It is in Massachusetts, which is but one of America’s early and vital industrial cities. Just like the Triangle Factory, the Lowell Factory also majored in textile production. The conditions of Lowell’s factory were far from the modern American standards back at the time. The workers worked from 5:00 am to 7:00 pm amounting to an average of 73 hours per week. The working conditions were extremely uncomfortable with 80 people in a room, which was hot and the windows remained closed even during the summer.

  The air in the rooms was filled with small elements of fabric and fiber. The machines made a noise that was not comfortable for the human ear. Although the visitors of the company were persuaded that the factory had perfect working conditions, the workers were always complaining because of draining work, which was termed as unsympathetic to the cerebral maturity. In terms of the living quarters, only women got an opportunity to secure a chance to a boarding house. The houses were congested with an average of six women sharing a sleeping room.

On the other hand, the Triangle Factory also had poor working conditions. The workers, who were mostly women, were subjected to utter exploitation and little pay since they were immigrants and were desperately in need of a job. In Lowell’s Factory, in February 1834, the Board of Directors appealed to the managers of the factory to reduce the wages of the workers. This plus the previous factors agitated the women who organized for a strike. The strike did not work and the conditions worsened.

They organized another which was successful leading to the reduction of house rent.  In 1845, the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association was started. The association was entirely led by the women who designated their own leaders and piloted their meetings.  They positioned other branches of the same kind in other mill towns. They also invited men in their meetings who were asked to treat the women as their equals.